Ike  Glidden 


in  Maine 


A.D.McFaul 


LIBRARY 

UNivgRsrrr  OP 

CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 


* 


^ 


IKE  GLIDDEN 
IN  MAINE 

A  STORY  OF  RURAL  LIFE 
IN  A  YANKEE  DISTRICT 


BT 

A.   D.   McFAUL 

ILLUSTRATED 


DICKEEMAN   PUBLISHING   CO. 

BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1902 

by 
A.   D.  McFAUL 


Copyright,  1903 

by 

DICKERMAN  PUBLISHING  CO. 


Printers  and  Binders,  Norwood,  Mass. 
U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  URIAH  JONES'  Cow          ...        1 

II.  TOM  POTTLE'S  FAILURE  ...         7 

III.  THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE  FARM        .      15 

IV.  IKE'S  HORSE  TRADE         ...       25 
V.  IKE  GOES  TO  MAINE         ...       30 

VI.  THE  NEW  LAWYER          ...      36 

VII.  His  FIRST  CASE      ....      41 

VIII.  WIDOW  GARLAND'S  DARTER    .         .       58 

IX.  THE  BLIND  COLT     .        .         .         .67 

X.  JOE  SAMPSON  BUYS  A  HORSE  .         .       77 

XI.  CHEATED  OUT  OF  His  HORSE  .         .      83 

XII.  SQUIRM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS         .       88 

XIII.  A  BED  OF  NETTLES          ...       95 

XIV.  THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS          .        .     100 
XV.  THE  TWENTY-DOLLAR  LOAN    .         .113 

XVI.  MRS.  SQUIRM'S  POPLIN  DRESS          .     119 

XVII.  SQUIRMTOWN  HAS  A  BOOM       .         .126 

XVIII.  MISER  WHITE          ....    138 

XIX.  THE  SMUGGLER        .        .        .        .152 

XX.  THE  BAR  HARBOR  DERBY       .         .     162 

XXI.     THE  RECEIPT 176 

XXII.  ROY  WHITE'S  TROTTER   .         .        .190 

XXIII.  THE  BURGLARY        .        .        .        .204 

XXIV.  KING  OF  THE  BARRENS    .        .        .216 
XXV.  THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS               225 


CHAPTER 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 


CONTENTS 

THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN 
THE  ANTI-BITTER  LAW   . 
THE  SYNDICATE 
THE  "  BLUEBERRY  "  MINK 
THE  WIGGIN  ESTATE 
"ALL  ABOARD  " 


PAGE 

235 
248 
256 
268 
274 
289 


CHAPTER  I. 

TJEIAH   JONES'    COW. 

THAT'S  so,  Ike  Glidden's  mischev'ous  as  the  old 
Scratch,"  said  Uriah  Jones  as  he  sat  down  among 
the  loafers  who  had  congregated  on  the  Post  Office  steps 
to  enjoy  the  evening  air  and  discuss  the  latest  pranks  of 
the  most  stirring  boy  in  town.  "  Yes,  and  I'd  make  him 
smart  fer  it,"  responded  one  of  the  crowd. 

"  Here  comes  his  father  after  the  mail,  and  I'd  just 
pitch  inter  him  and  make  him  settle  for  that  boy's  capers," 
earnestly  said  a  prominent  member  of  the  gathering. 

Mr.  Glidden  drove  up,  alighted  from  the  wagon  and 
was  ascending  the  steps,  when  Uriah  Jones  accosted  him, 
blurting  out  in  an  emphatic  manner,  "  Be  you  a-goin'  ter 
pay  fer  that  cow  ?  " 

Farmer  Glidden,  whose  gentle  face  bore  lines  of  trouble, 
looked  calmly  into  the  enraged  and  distorted  visage  of 
his  neighbor.  The  pain  and  humiliation  caused  by  the 
tale  unfolded  to  him  by  that  irate  individual  deprived 
him  for  the  moment  of  the  power  to  express  his  thoughts. 
Then,  in  a  kindly  tone,  he  spoke.  "  Tell  ye  what,  neigh 
bor  Jones,  if  my  boy  Ike  did  as  ye  say  he  did  —  tied 
Lambert's  milk  cans  to  your  cow's  tail  —  and  any  harm 
comes  of  it,  I'll  make  it  right  if  I  have  to  sell  the  best 
cow  I've  got.  But  I  hain't  so  sure  my  boy  Ike's  to  blame 
for  half  what's  laid  agin'  him." 


*  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"Your  boy  Ike?"  indignantly  replied  Jones.  "Yer 
boy  Ike's  a  tender  innocent,  he  is  !  Oh,  of  course  he's 
as  innocent  as  a  child !  It  wuzn't  your  boy  Ike  who 
broke  up  prayer-meetin'  Wednesday  night  by  puttin' 
kyann  pepper  on  the  stove  ?  It  wuzn't  your  boy  Ike  who 
stuffed  poor  Charley  Burr's  chimney  up  and  smoked  him 
out  on  Christmas  eve  ?  Oh  no,  it  couldn't  be  your  boy 
Ike  who  put  Billy  Wilson  in  my  orchard  one  night  last 
fall  and  got  him  to  stuff  his  pant  legs  with  my  apples 
till  he  couldn't  walk,  and  then  hollered  fer  me,  so't  I'd 
catch  the  Widder  Wilson's  boy  helpless  ?  Oh  no,  course 
not,  it  warn't  your  boy  Ike  who  tied  Lambert's  cans  to 
my  cow's  tail?  Of  course  folks  who  saw  the  cow  start 
like  a  crazy  creeter  with  the  cans  a-bangin'  and  the  milk 
flyin'  behind  her  and  Ike  clappin'  his  hands  to  his  bosom 
and  laffin'  at  the  show,  was  mistaken  ?  It  warn't  your 
little  innocent  Ike  that  did  all  these  things?  It  was 
some  other  boy  that  looks  so  much  like  your  pet  Ike. 
But  then,  the  best  cow  I've  got  went  crazy  mad  into  the 
woods  yesterday  with  a  hundred  men  and  boys  tryin'  to 
find  her.  Tell  yer  what  it  is,  Joe  Glidden,  you  pay  fer 
that  cow  or  your  boy'll  be  taken  care  of  till  he  learns 
how  to  behave  hisself.  I've  stood  all  of  his  tantrums 
I'm  a-goin'  to.  I  hain't  a-goin'  ter  loose  any  more  prop 
erty  by  him  without  pay  fer  it." 

"  Well,  neighbor  Jones,  ruther  than  ter  have  my  boy 
disgraced  by  court  proceedings,  I'll  pay  yer  thirty  dollars 
fer  ther  cow  and  take  my  chances  of  ever  finding  her. 
But  mind  yer,  I  don't  believe  my  boy  Ike  ever  did  it. 
I  allow  he's  wild  and  fond  of  fun  and  does  things  that 
some  boys  wouldn't  think  of  doing,  but  Ike's  tender- 


URIAH  JONES'    COW.  3 

hearted  and  honest  and  never  wilfully  injured  anything 
or  anybody." 

"  I  kin  understand  ye  a-lovin'  yer  boy,  Joe,  but  I  can't 
understand  how  'tis  ye  can't  see  that  fer  the  past  four 
years  or  more,  sence  Ike  was  big  enough  ter  shy  a  rock 
or  toot  a  horn,  he's  turned  our  quiet  neighborhood  into 
a  nois}r,  distracted  community,  and  I'll  bet  a  dollar  out 
of  this  thirty  yer  jest  gave  me  that  your  boy  Ike  is  into 
some  mischief  this  minute,"  with  which  final  expression 
of  disapproval  Farmer  Jones  pocketed  the  price  of  the 
cow  and  departed. 

That  afternoon,  on  the  hills  surrounding  the  town  of 
Bolton,  the  echoes  were  awakened  by  the  voices  of  men 
and  boys  searching  the  woods  for  Jones'  cow  and  Lam 
bert's  milk  cans.  Apart  from  the  others  were  Ike  Glid- 
den,  the  terror  of  Bolton,  and  his  younger  brother 
Hiram.  Ike  said,  "  What  possessed  you,  Hiram  Glid- 
den,  to  do  such  an  awful  thing  ?  Didn't  you  know  that 
it  is  cruel  to  frighten  a  poor  old  cow  in  that  way  ?  I 
couldn't  help  laughing  at  the  sight  of  poor  Mooley 
slinking  it  for  the  woods  with  the  cans  and  milk  flying. 
It  was  too  bad  though.  I've  done  lots  of  tricks,  but  I 
never  would  have  done  such  a  thing.  Now,  it's  bad 
enough  to  have  father  and  mother  worrying  about  me, 
for  I  can't  seem  to  steer  clear  of  mischief ;  but,  if  they 
learn  that  you  would  cut  up  like  this,  it  would  worry 
them  both  to  death.  You'd  better  make  up  your  mind  you 
won't  cutup  any  more  capers  and  just  lay  the  blame  on  me. 
I  can  stand  it,  I  guess,  and  as  the  boys  seem  to  be  goin' 
back  you  follow  the  crowd  home  and  set  father  and  mother 
at  rest  about  it,  and  I'll  stay  here  till  I  get  the  cow." 


4  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

It  was  late  when  Ike  reached  home,  tired  and  wet, 
but  joyous.  He  had  descended  the  hillside  to  follow 
around  the  shore  of  a  pond,  where  he  found  Jones'  cow 
on  a  point  of  land  running  out  into  the  water  of  the 
pond.  After  constructing  a  fence-like  structure  across 
the  short  opening  that  would  serve  as  a  means  of  escape 
from  the  peninsula  to  the  mainland,  he  left  her  to 
recover  her  natural  peace  of  mind  and  to  be  recovered 
by  her  owner  in  the  morning,  seemingly  none  the  worse 
for  her  recent  excitement. 

Joe  Glidden's  faith  in  his  boy's  goodness  and  his 
paternal  joy  in  the  thought  that  his  son,  of  all  the  men 
and  boys  who  joined  in  the  hunt,  was  the  one  to  find 
the  lost  animal,  well-nigh  overcame  the  sense  of  the 
enormity  of  the  offence  of  which  Ike  was  accused.  lie 
undertook,  however,  to  admonish  his  son  and  chide  him 
for  the  wickedness  of  the  deed.  But  when  Ike  truth 
fully  and  straight-fonvardly  denied  his  guilt,  the  father's 
faith  in  his  son  triumphed,  and  to  him  at  least  the  affair 
was  henceforth  closed.  But,  if  it  was  so  with  Mr. 
Glidden,  not  so  was  it  with  the  Jones  family. 

At  school  next  day  Dicky  Jones,  a  youth  of  Ike's 
age,  but  of  somewhat  overbearing  manner,  taunted  Ike 
on  the  playground  with  being  a  subject  for  the  reform 
school,  and  later  in  school  hours  Dicky  drew  on  his 
slate  a  rude  picture  of  a  cow  with  milk-can  ornaments 
on  her  tail,  and  wrote  under  it,  "  How  old  Joe  Glidden 
got  a  good  cow  cheap."  Ike's  wrath  was  aroused  so 
quickly  that  with  one  blow  he  laid  Dicky  on  the  floor, 
with  a  crash  that  shook  the  building.  The  school  was 
in  an  uproar  instantly.  The  master,  seeing  Ike  stoop 


URIAH   JONES'   COW.  5 

over  his  fallen  enemy,  and  with  fear  for  Dicky's  safety, 
mingled  with  indignation  at  such  a  wilful  disregard  of 
discipline  by  one  of  his  pupils,  struck  Ike  across  the 
shoulders  with  his  rule  a  blow  that  made  him  roar  with 
pain.  The  master  seemed  to  have  lost  his  reason,  and 
continued  to  belabor  the  unfortunate  Ike,  who  from 
sheer  desperation  reached  for  the  rule,  and  grabbing  the 
master  wrestled  and  struggled  with  him  until  they  both 
fell  and  rolled  in  an  ignominious  heap  on  the  floor, 
where  they  lay,  Ike  holding  the  master  firmly  until  he 
promised  not  to  strike  him  again. 

Ike  told  his  parents  the  entire  storjr,  withholding 
nothing  of  the  facts  and  circumstances.  The  parents 
grieved  at  their  son's  rashness,  yet  could  not  find  it  in 
their  hearts  to  administer  to  him  further  punishment. 

The  supervisor  of  schools  soon  called  at  the  Gliddens' 
home.  "  I'm  sorry  to  inform  you,  Mister  Glidden,"  said 
the  supervisor,  "  that  we  are  compelled  for  the  welfare 
of  the  other  pupils  to  dismiss  your  boy  from  further  atten 
dance  at  school.  Ike  is  a  bright  boy.  As  a  scholar  he 
is  always  in  advance  of  his  class.  He  has  his  lessons 
perfectly;  but  no  one  ever  saw  him  study,  and  he  is 
continually  getting  into  mischief  and  distracting  the 
attention  of  the  school.  We  cannot  permit  him  longer 
to  attend.  I  sincerely  hope,"  said  the  supervisor,  "that 
your  son  will  permit  the  master  to  pursue  his  vocation 
in  peace  hereafter,  and  also  that  you  will  not  insist  upon 
his  attending  school,  otherwise  I  shall  have  him  prose 
cuted  for  assault  and  battery." 

Ike  through  all  his  humiliation  and  resentment  won 
dered  at  the  mildness  of  his  father's  manner  under  the 


G  IKE   GLIDDEN  IN   MAINE. 

circumstances.  He  had  never  noticed  how  aged  his 
father  had  grown,  and  now,  as  he  looked  into  his  kindly 
features,  there  came  a  sharp  pang  as  of  a  premonition 
that  his  father  would  not  be  long  with  him  to  direct  his 
conduct  and  spur  him  to  better  actions,  and  he  inwardly 
resolved  to  make  himself  in  the  future  such  a  man  as 
any  father  might  be  proud  to  own. 

And  when  his  mother  bade  him  good-night  there  were 
tears  in  the  eyes  that  had  watched  so  fondly  for  him 
and  over  him  since  infancy.  Ike  sank  to  sleep  with  a 
heaviness  of  heart  such  as  he  never  previously  expe 
rienced. 


CHAPTER   IT. 

TOM  POTTLE'S  FAILUBB. 

THE  Gliddens  lived  in  a  comfortable  farmhouse, 
surrounded  by  fields  on  which  the  generations  of 
ancestors  from  the  days  of  the  earliest  settlement  had 
freely  expended  the  strength  and  vigor  of  their  lives 
only  to  find  the  wealth  of  the  forests  vanishing  into 
nothingness  and  the  once  fertile  plains  becoming  more 
stubborn  and  unproductive  with  each  generation. 

But  they  were  honest  and  happy  in  their  simple  lives 
as  the  children  came  to  make  merry  the  old  house  on 
the  hill.  Joe  Glidden  was  a  synonym  for  honor  and 
generosity  throughout  Central  Vermont.  Whatever  he 
had  he  freely  shared  with  the  deserving  poor,  and  many 
a  man  reduced  to  penury  by  adverse  circumstances  had 
been  aided  quietly  by  donations  from  his  small  store  of 
funds.  Some,  when  able,  testified  their  gratitude  by 
returning  these  loans,  but  others  failed  through  various 
causes  to  do  so,  so  that  when  the  events  related  in  the 
preceding  pages  transpired  the  Gliddens  were  in  merely 
comfortable  circumstances ;  their  whole  hope  for  the 
future  centered  in  their  boys  and  girls. 

Early  in  the  following  morning,  Ike  wended  his  way 
to  the  field  with  a  high  resolve  in  his  bosom  that  now 
his  school  days  were  ended  he  would  be  a  man.  He 
would  live  down  the  memories  of  his  rude,  boyish  con- 

7 


8  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

duct.  He  -would  assume  the  burden  of  carrying  on  the 
farm,  and  this  very  day  he  would  put  that  resolution  into 
practice.  He  hitched  up  their  span  of  horses  and 
started  out  to  plow.  His  father  watched  the  proceed 
ings  in  silence  with  a  sense  of  great  gladness  in  his 
heart.  After  watching  Ike's  maiden  efforts  with  the 
plow  he  strode  back  to  the  house  with  the  spring  of 
youth  in  his  step  and  whistling  softly  an  old  tune  that 
he  had  not  used  for  many  years  before. 

"  Why,  Joe,"  said  Mrs.  Glidden  cheerfully,  "  What's 
come  over  you?  It  does  my  heart  good  to  hear  you 
whistling  as  cheerfully  as  you  did  in  the  old  days  before 
the  hard  times  came.  "  I'm  glad  to  see  that  Ike's  dis 
grace  lias  not  saddened  you.  I'm  sure  that  Ike  is  not  a 
bad  boy,  and  I  feel  that  he  will  make  a  man  that  will  be 
a  credit  to  us  yet." 

"  You  may  well  say  that,  Jennie,"  said  Joe,  «'  for 
Ike's  gone  down  in  the  meadow  and  harnessed  up  Bis- 
mark  and  old  Nell,  and  he's  plowing  there  like  a  man 
of  forty,  holding  and  driving  just  as  if  it  wasn't  his  first 
attempt,  and  he  turns  as  neat  a  furrow  as  I  ever  see  a 
man  turn,  too.  I  know  that  Ike's  all  right.  He's  a 
true  Glidden.  He's  got  the  Glidden  spirit  and  I  do 
b'lieve  this  turn  of  affairs  has  brought  the  best  in  him 
to  the  surface.  I  must  caution  him  against  overdoin' 
himself  at  first,  however. 

"  But  bless  me,  if  here  ain't  poor  old  Lucre tia  Oaks 
coming.  I  wonder  what  she  wants  ? 

"  How  d'yer  do,  Miss  Oaks  ?  " 

"  How  do  yer  do,  Mr.  Glidden  ? — I  come  up  ter  see 
yer  'bout  that  young  scamp  o'  yourn,  that  Ike,  he's  an 


TOM   POTTLE'S  FAILURE. 

imp,  that's  what  he  is."  Here  Lucretia's  feelings  be 
came  too  much  for  her  powers  of  expression,  and  she 
broke  into  a  sob. 

Lucretia  and  her  sister  Mirandy  were  maiden  ladies 
that  occupied  an  old  dilapidated  house,  and  they 
were  not  infrequently  the  victims  of  harmless  antics  of 
mischievous  boys  and  girls  of  that  vicinity. 

"  I  hope  Ike  has  done  you  no  injury,"  said  Mr.  Glid- 
den.  "I'm  sure  if  he  has  done  anything,  it  came  from 
thoughtlessness,  and  not  design." 

"  Thoughtlessness  I  "  exclaimed  Lucretia,  whose  speech 
suddenly  returned  to  her.  "  Ef  yer  call  it  thoughtless 
ness  for  a  grown  young  man  like  him  to  go  ter  work 
and  raise  ruckshuns  night  'fore  last  with  my  ducks,  and 
ter  sozzle  my  broody  hen  what's  a  settin'  on  a  nest  o' 
eggs,  with  a  pail  o'  water.  An'  then  ter  come  an'  rig 
one  o'  them  plaguey  tick-tacks  on  ther  window  o'  two 
lone  wimmen  folks  an'  almost  scat  their  wits  out  o' 
them,  —  then,  why  I  don't  know  what  'tis  ter  be  'bused 
an'  tormented  by  such  bad  boys  as  Ike  is." 

"  No,  'twarnt  him  'tall,"  said  Mirandy,  who  had  fol 
lowed  her  sister  and  entered  the  house  almost  unob 
served.  "  'Twas  Dicky  Jones,  an'  am  sure  'twas." 

"  There,  Randy,  yer  know  'tmust  er  been  Ike,  but 
'cause  he  sometimes  brings  yer  a  lot  'o  them  old  news 
papers  ter  read,  yer  think  he's  a  splendid  boy.  Don't 
yer  know  what  'Riah  Jones  said,  when  you  blamed  it  on 
ter  his  Dicky?  He  wasn't  afeared  ter  say  that  Ike 
Glidden  was  the  worst  boy  he  ever  knew,  and  that  there 
wasn't  'nother  boy  in  town  what  'ud  be  guilty  o'  cuttin' 
up  sich  capers  on  us  but  Joe  Glidden's  boy.  Ike's  a 


10  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

villain.  If  I'd  only  a  had  him  'rrested,  as  Bill  Cole 

told  ine  ter  do.  I'd ."  But  the  vehemence  of 

Lucretia's  feelings  again  overcame  her  power  of  speech. 

The  Gliddens  exchanged  with  each  other  glances  of 
pain  and  mortification,  because  their  son  was  being  un 
justly  accused  of  conduct  that  they  knew  was  not  true. 

"  But  Ike  was  away  that  afternoon,  with  the  crowd, 
hunting  for  Jones'  cow,  and  when  he  returned,  staid  at 
home  during  the  remainder  of  the  evening.  Miss  Oaks, 
I  am  positive  that  it  was  not  my  boy  that  annoyed  you 
the  night  before  last,"  said  Mr.  Glidden. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Lucretia,  "  he  was  away  bringin' 
back  ther  cow  he  driv  off  a  purpose  so'st  you'd  buy  her 
at  your  own  figger.  I've  heerd  the  talk  round  town, 
an'  it  don't  look  well  on  your  part,  Joe  Glidden.  Folks 
say  as  how  Ike  couldn't  be  much  better,  when  his  own 
father  upheld  him  in  his  mischief.  Well,  yer  can't  make 
'Riah  Jones  nor  Bill  Cole  b'lieve  'twarn't  Ike  what 
nailed  my  poor  ducks'  feet  to  the  floor,  an'  sozzled  my 
settin'  hen  with  water,  an'  hung  ther  tick-tack  on  my 
window." 

"  It's  mighty  strange,  that  no  matter  what  mischief  is 
done  in  these  parts,  it's  always  laid  to  my  boy,  whether 
he's  been  in  the  scrape  or  not.  Everybody  ready  to 
condemn,  and  to  give  him  a  black  mark.  But  then, 
Lucretia,  I  know  that  my  boy  was  at  home  that  evening, 
and  is  not  the  person  who  annoyed  you,"  said  Mr.  Glid 
den. 

"  'Noyed  me  I  'twasn't  half  so  bad  fer  me,  as  it  was 
for  the  way  he  'noyed  ther  poor  ducks ;  you'd  been  mad 
yerself,  Joe  Glidden,  if  yer  have  any  pity  'tall  for  a 


TOM  POTTLE'S   FAILURE.  11 

lame  duck.  If  yer  went  out  in  ther  mornin'  ter  feed 
yer  ducks,  an'  yer  called  'em  and  they  wouldn't  come 
nigh  nor  a-near  their  feed,  but  ud  look  straight  at  yer, 
and  go  quack,  quack,  quack,  and  then  yer'd  find  that 
they  didn't  come  'cause  their  feet  was  tacked  to  the 
floor  with  nails.  Now,  wouldn't  you  be  mad,  if  Ike  ud 
do  that  ter  yer  ducks?  " 

"  Certainly,  I  would  be  very  much  provoked,  if  he 
should  do  such  a  thing.  But  it  was  not  Ike  that  cut 
up  the  mischief  this  time,  because  he  was  at  home  with 
the  rest  of  the  family,"  said  Mr.  Glidden. 

"  That's  so ;  I  don't  b'lieve  Ike  had  anything  ter  do 
with  the  mischief  ter  our  ducks,"  maintained  Mirandy, 
who  seemed  to  be  very  much  displeased  with  her 
sister's  denunciation  of  Mr.  Glidden's  son. 

"  'Twas  Ike,  an'  yer  needn't  think  yer  a-goin  ter  keep 
him  out  o'  ther  scrape,  sayin'  that  he  was  ter  home  an' 
abed.  Mirandy,  you  silly  thing,  what  are  you  a-stickin' 
up  fer  ther  scamp  fer,  when  every  one  sez  'twas  Ike 
what  did  it  ?  "  said  Lucretia. 

A  war  of  words  ensued  between  the  two,  which  ended 
by  each  starting  off  in  opposite  directions  to  air  their 
grievances  to  the  neighborhood. 

Mrs.  Glidden  was  in  tears  and  Mr.  Glidden's  head 
was  bowed  with  grief,  for  some  time  after  the  old  ladies 
had  departed,  because  their  son's  reputation  was  stig 
matized  through  the  evil  reports  of  their  neighbors. 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Glidden  at  length,  "let  us  say 
nothing  about  it  to  Ike,  so  long  as  we  know  that  he  is 
not  guilty.  He's  probably  suffering  enough  now  on 
account  of  the  false  things  that  have  been  said  about 


12  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

him  in  the  past ;  he'll  suffer  enough  for  it  anyway  as 
time  goes  by." 

"  Good  mornin',  neighbor  Cole." 

"  Good  mornin',  neighbor,"  said  the  newcomer  as  he 
entered.  "  I  been  down  to  the  village  and  thought  I'd 
drop  in  on  my  way  home.  Heerd  a  good  deal  'bout  Ike 
down  there.  Some  folks  thinks  he's  a  dredful  critter, 
but  most  of  'em  says  that  Ike's  all  right.  Hain't  none 
of  'em  but  agrees  he's  a  good-hearted,  honest  feller,  but 
full  of  the  mischief.  Heerd  Tom  Pottle  said  t'other 
day  he  did  b'lieve  as  how  Ike  was  cut  out  fer  a  des'prado ; 
but  I  told  'em  I  knew  Ike,  and  he'd  make  a  man  better'n 
any  their  ancesters  ever  boasted  of,  and  I  knew  the  Glid- 
dens,  and  they  hadn't  begun  ter  raise  outlaws  yit.  As 
for  Tom  Pottle  he  comes  pretty  near  bein'  a  jail-bird 
hisself.  Hadn't  been  't  he  left  town  'tween  two  days 
he'd  be  good  way  on  the  road  to  the  pen'tentiary  now." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  Tom  Pottle  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Glidden,  sharply. 

"  Matter  1  Is  it  possible  you  hain't  heerd  ?  Why, 
Tom  Pottle's  business  all  went  ter  smash.  He's  sold 
everything  he  could  lay  his  hands  on  and  skipped. 
Stuck  ther  banks  fer  a  lot,  and  nigh  every  farmer  for 
ten  miles  round  is  bit  more  er  less.  Goin'  to  be  hard 

times  round  this  way  mighty  quick Blessed  God  I 

what's  the  matter?" 

Joe  Glidden  gave  forth  a  hollow  sound,  —  half  cough, 
half  groan,  —  and  fell  heavily  back  into  his  armchair. 

They  bore  him  unconscious  to  his  bed  and  sent  for 
Ike  and  Hiram  and  the  girls. 

gathered  around  the  couch  on  which  lay  the  in- 


TOM   POTTLE'S   FAILURE.  13 

animate  form  of  him  whose  every  thought  and  care  and 
hope  had  been  for  their  welfare,  and  grief  so  changed 
their  young  hearts  that  the  fountains  of  their  tears  were 
choked  and  silently  they  watched  and  prayed  for  the 
return  of  reason  and  strength  to  that  form  so  dear  to 
them. 

Tom  Pottle  owed  him  a  sum  of  rt'Oney,  and  had 
promised  to  pay  the  debt  on  the  day  following.  Mr. 
Glidden  had  insisted  upon  receiving  it  without  further 
delay,  because  he  needed  it  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  on 
his  farm. 

Mr.  Pottle  had  promised  so  faithfully  to  pay  the 
money  at  that  particular  time  that  there  had  been  not 
even  the  slightest  anxiety  up  to  this  time  about  being 
able  to  cancel  the  mortgage. 

The  shock  of  the  terrible  news  of  Pottle's  financial 
distress,  on  the  e>e  of  the  maturity  of  the  mortgage,  had 
on  him  this  distressing  effect.  He  revived  somewhat 
only  to  burst  into  paroxysms  of  grief.  He  raved  for 
hours  about  dreadful  things  that  were  to  supervene  to 
his  home  and  property,  and  when  utterly  tired  out  by 
his  own  emotions  he  sank  to  sleep,  to  dream  perhaps  of 
more  alarming  delusions. 

On  awakening  from  his  slumber,  he  was  very  much 
exhausted,  and  for  a  time  lay  motionless  until  he  re 
gained  some  strength,  and  then  he  asked  his  loving  wife, 
who  was  nursing  him  with  the  utmost  care  and  fidelity, 
about  what  he  said  during  those  uncertain  periods  in 
which  all  were  terror  and  delirium  to  him.  He  con 
tinued  in  this  brain-fagged  and  mentally-deranged  con 
dition  for  several  weeks  until  affected  by  a  slight  cold, 


14  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

which  developed  into  dreadful  pneumonia,  and  ulti 
mately  dragged  him  to  the  verge  of  the  grave. 

A  slight  moan  from  the  sufferer  betokened  the  effort 
of  nature  to  reassert  itself,  and  soon  Joe  Glidden  opened 
his  eyes  from  an  unnatural  sleep.  In  them  was  the 
peculiar  brightness  that  conies  to  the  eyes  of  those  who 
have  caught  the  dawn  of  an  eternal  day.  One  long 
gasp,  and  he  was  ushered  into  eternity. 

The  weeping  wife  folded  her  arms  about  the  form  of 
her  dying  husband.  For  a  moment  their  lips  met  in 
one  last  token  of  affection.  Ike  bent  over  and  kissed 
the  withered  cheek,  and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE   MORTGAGE   ON   THE   FARM. 

JOE  GLIDDEN  was  laid  at  rest  in  the  family  lot,  by 
the  side  of  the  loved  ones  who  had  preceded  him. 
The  family  met  in  the  living-room  of  the  home,  that 
seemed  in  its  emptiness  to  throb  with  the  weight  of  its 
loneliness.  Ike's  buoyant  nature  was  the  first  to  assert 
itself.  "  Let's  not  sit  down  here  and  mope,"  he  said. 
"  Father  wouldn't  want  us  to  do  this ;  we  know  that 
father's  passed  into  happiness,  and  we  know  that  we  will 
add  to  his  happiness  by  cheering  up  and  tackling  the 
difficulties  that's  before  us.  Mother,  you'd  better  lie 
down  and  rest.  A  little  sleep  will  do  you  a  world  of 
good." 

"  Oh,  I'll  take  rest  by  and  by,  Ike.  Your  words  have 
already  cheered  me,  for  I  know  now  I've  some  one  I  can 
rely  on ;  we'll  begin  now  and  make  our  plans.  We'll 
all  work  together.  Grace  has  got  now  so  she  can  help 
me  greatly  about  the  house,  in  fact  she's  a  better  house 
keeper  now  than  many  grown-up  women/'  responded 
his  mother. 

"  Yes,"  said  Grace  proudly,  glad  that  in  this  awful 
trouble  her  capabilities  were  looked  upon  as  a  source  of 
assistance,  "  and  I  will  do  all  the  housework,  and  you, 
dear  mamma,  will  not  have  a  care  to  bother  you." 

*'  And  I,"  spoke  up  Maud,  who  was  then  twelve  years 

16 


1C  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

of  age,  "  I'll  help  Grace,  and  I'm  goin'  to  learn  in  a  short 
time  to  be  just  as  good  a  housekeeper  as  Grace.  Ike  and 
Hiram  'ill  run  the  farm,  and  Grace  and  I'll  run  the 
house,  and  we'll  elect  you  committee  on  the  whole 
thing." 

"We'll  help  Ike,"  said  Hiram,  "but  the  farm  ain't 
b'g  enough  to  work,  and  I'm  going  to  get  an  education ; 
Ike  can't  go  to  school  any  more,  so  he  can  stay  and  do 
the  work,  and  I'm  going  to  go  away  and  become  a  doc 
tor,  and  then  I  can  take  care  of  all  of  you." 

Ike  blushed  at  Hiram's  awkward  reference  to  his  late 
disgrace,  and  the  conversation  lagged,  but  immediately 
Ike's  cheerful  nature  predominated.  "  Well,  mother," 
he  said,  "  we've  arranged  the  plans.  Grace  and  Maud 
will  run  the  inside  of  the  house,  Hiram's  to  be  a  doctor, 
and  I'm  going  to  be  a  bread-winner.  Now,  lie  down  and 
rest  and  we'll  do  up  the  chores." 

This  bit  of  encouragement  by  the  children  helped  to 
soothe  the  pangs  that  surrounded  Mrs.  Glidden's  heart 
when  she  was  thinking  of  the  struggle  that  was  ahead  of 
her.  She  lay  down  and  slept  but  a  short  time,  when  she 
awoke  much  exhausted,  thinking  of  the  mortgage. 

"  Never  mind  about  the  mortgage,  mother,"  said  Ike, 
"  I'll  see  the  trustees  of  the  bank  and  I  know  we'll  get 
them  to  wait  a  little  while  longer." 

"  Fancy  the  officers  of  the  bank  listening  to  my  boy, 
who  has  been  so  much  slandered  by  almost  everybody  in 
the  village,"  said  the  mother  to  herself ;  "  I  am  afraid 
that  the  bank  folks  would  not  pay  much  attention  to  a 
boy  of  Ike's  reputation." 

Ike's  undaunted  courage  asserted  itself,  and  unknown 


THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE  FARM.         17 

to  his  mother  he  called  at  the  bank  one  day  and  had  a 
long  conference  with  the  president  in  relation  to  the 
mortgage.  Ike's  positive  manner,  sincere  words  and 
faith  in  his  efforts  to  discharge  the  mortgage,  should  the 
time  for  payment  be  lengthened,  won  for  him  the  ad 
miration  of  the  president,  who  said,  "  Ike,  I  am  delighted 
to  see  that  you  are  endowed  with  a  new  spirit,  and  that 
you  intend  to  be  a  better  boy.  I  will  grant  your  favor, 
and  I  trust  that  your  behavior  in  the  future  will  vindi 
cate  myself  with  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  reliance 
I  place  in  you." 

When  Mrs.  Glidden  learned  of  the  important  session 
Ike  had  had  with  the  official  at  the  bank,  it  had  a  ten 
dency  to  somewhat  revivify  her  fortitude,  but  then  they 
were  dependent  on  their  efforts  to  make  the  farm  a  pay 
ing  institution.  The  problem  of  obtaining  a  livelihood, 
and  the  payment  of  a  mortgage,  was  indeed  a  serious 
matter,  and  caused  her  many  hours  of  anxiety. 

Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity.  The  family  suddenly 
deprived  of  its  sole  protection,  is  as  suddenly  fortified  by 
the  very  stress  of  the  calamity  that  has  befallen  it,  and 
in  a  twinkling,  dependent  youth  gives  way  to  indepen 
dent  action  and  energy.  Ike  realized  that  fortune  had 
been  good  enough  to  provide  him  with  an  old  farm, 
plenty  of  grit  and  good  health,  so  he  resolved  to  do  his 
best  to  support  the  family  and  save  the  home.  He  en 
tered  upon  his  part  of  the  farm  management  with  a  de 
termination  to  furnish  the  home  with  an  abundance  of 
such  provisions  as  could  be  produced  by  constant  toil 
and  industry  on  such  a  farm  as  they  possessed.  He 
surprised  his  neighbors  by  his  diligence.  His  crops  com- 


18  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

pared  favorably  with  theirs.  He  obtained  as  many 
premiums  on  his  colts  and  cattle  at  the  annual  fair  as 
any  other,  and  friends  remarked  that  the  widow  G  lid  den 
seemed  to  be  getting  on  pretty  well. 

While  the  mortgage  was  not  paid  as  rapidly  as  Ike's 
boyish  plans  had  fancied,  yet  small  amounts  were  oc 
casionally  tendered  the  bank,  and  the  amount  of  the 
principal  was  being  gradually  reduced.  The  bank  presi 
dent  was  fully  satisfied  with  the  confidence  he  had 
placed  in  Ike,  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  was  content  to 
depend  upon  the  young  man's  ability  to  make  a  final 
payment  within  a  short  time. 

Ike  was  endowed  with  the  sterling  qualities  of  energy 
and  ambition,  and  was  bent  on  owning  as  good  a  team  as 
any  of  their  neighbors.  "  Need  better  horse  to  mate 
Bismark,"  he  said  one  day  while  the  family  were  seated 
at  the  table,  "  ought  ter  have  one  ter  get  in  these  crops." 

Old  Nell,  their  farm  horse,  had  become  utterly  use 
less  for  the  plow  and  equally  unfit  for  the  road.  Ike 
insisted  upon  the  immediate  need  of  a  more  suitable 
horse.  The  family  debated  in  full  council  what  they 
could  most  conveniently  sell,  or,  more  properly  speaking, 
what  were  the  easiest  methods  of  making  money  with 
which  to  purchase  a  mate  for  noble  Bismark.  The 
deliberation  was  soon  finished,  and  upon  Ike's  suggestion 
it  was  thereupon  resolved  that  he  should  exchange  their 
three-year-old  colt  for  a  suitable  horse,  and  if  necessary 
pay  a  difference,  but  not  to  exceed  the  sum  of  twenty 
dollars. 

The  next  morning  he  started  for  Montpelier  with 
Bismark  harnessed  in  the  old  farm  wagon  and  the  colt 


THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE  FARM.         19 

leading  behind  on  a  halter.  To  Ike's  youthful  mind  the 
vocation  of  the  horse-jockey  was  one  of  dignity ;  he  had 
even  admired  the  qualities  and  clever  appearances  of  the 
traders  he  had  seen  at  the  county  fail's.  He  entertained 
no  doubt  as  to  his  ability  to  make  a  satisfactory  change, 
and  felt  that  it  was  an  excellent  opportunity  to  establish 
his  reputation  in  the  community  as  a  good  judge  of 
horses,  and  even  pictured  to  himself  the  joyful  surprise 
of  the  family  upon  his  triumphal  return  with  a  good 
horse.  While  he  was  possessed  of  an  unusual  amount 
of  native  shrewdness,  this  trading  expedition  evidently 
cut  his  eyetooth.  When  about  half  way  into  Montpelier 
he  overtook  a  traveler  and  invited  him  to  ride.  The 
man  cheerfully  accepted  the  invitation  and  took  a  seat 
in  the  wagon.  "  Pretty  good-looking  colt  you've  got 
there  ;  ho\v  old  is  he  ?  "  said  the  stranger.  "  He's  the 
best  three-year-old  in  this  country,"  said  Ike,  "and  I 
blieve  some  day  he'll  be  a  trotter." 

"  Good-looking  colt,  good-looking  colt,"  said  Ike's 
companion.  "  Looks  es  if  he  had  speed ;  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he'd  be  a  fast  one  some  day." 

Ike  clucked  to  Bismark,  who  responded  immediately, 
and  they  were  speeding  over  the  ground  at  a  very  com 
mendable  rate  when  Ike  remarked,  "  Just  see  how  the 
colt  follows  up,  watch  his  free  and  easy  action,  and  wide- 
open  gate.  That  colt's  a  clinker  an'  I  oughten  ter  let 
him  go,  but  then  I  can't  help  it." 

"  Had  a  hoss  that  was  kind  o'  speedy  myself,  few 
days  ago ;  he  was  a  pretty  good  all  round  kind  of  a 
hoss ;  ought  ter  been  satisfied  with  him,  but  I  warn't 
some  way  t'other.  Went  up  ter  ride  round  ther  square 


20  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN    MAINK. 

and  had  my  eyes  peeled  ter  see  what  I  could  see,  and 
run  across  a  fellow  what  had  a  pacer,  pretty  good  built 
one,  looked  sound  and  smooth ;  'bout  time  I  saw  this 
fellow,  he  got  his  eye  on  mine  ;  'llowed  his  hoss  ud  beat 
mine  'n  half  mile  brush.  I  'llowed  he  couldn't,  an'  put 
up  ten  ter  back  it.  We  got  underway ;  we  had  jest 
the  prettiest  race  you  ever  see,  down  that  half-mile 
stretch,  and  my  hoss  won  by  jest  a  neck.  I  got  pretty 
good  idee  'bout  drivin'  a  hoss  myself  ;  and  I  j edged 
some  way,  from  peculiar  way  that  feller  held  on  ter  ther 
ribbons  that  he  didn't  know  as  much  'bout  drivin'  as  lie 
ought  to.  Think,  says  I,  good  handlin'  that  hoss  ud 
beat  mine,  but  he  don't  know  it,  and  I  'llowed  I  \\uz 
goin'  ter  have  a  trade  before  I  left  that  town,  but  didn't 
show  my  hand.  Bime-by  he  struck  me  for  a  trade  ;  but 
I  played  shy,  didn't  seem  to  care  to  want  his  hoss  ; 
'llowed  there  wuzn't  better  hoss  'n  mine  anywhere. 
Pretty  soon  he  got  round  ter  say  he'd  trade  even. 
We  shifted,  and  I  couldn't  get  the  harness  oft"n  my 
horse  and  on  to  his'n  quick  enough  ter  suit  me.  AVe 
got  all  hitched  up  agin,  and  that  fellow  he  says  to  me, 
4  Bet  you  twenty  dollars  I'll  beat  you  back.'  I  took 
him  quicker'n  scat ;  then  I  diskivered  why  he  held  the 
nbbons  so  queer.  When  I  chuckled  ter  my  hoss  ter 
go  he  jest  riz  the  dasher  off  n  my  wagon  the  fust  clip. 
Next  he  made  smash  o'  the  body  ;  laid  down  on  the 
shafts.  I  got  him  upon  his  feet,  and  he  got  jest  near 
'nough  to  what  was  left  of  it  to  kick  it  inter  kindlin' 
wood,  then  he  struck  piece  o'  the  broken  shaft  hangin' 
ter  the  breechin'  strop.  Every  time  lie  raised,  that 
shaft  struck  him  a  clip ;  the  last  time  I  see  him  ho  was 


THE  MORTGAGE  ON  THE  FARM.         21 

goin'  towards  the  State  line.  I  chased  the  hoss  a  ways 
until  he  got  out  o'  sight;  then  I  turned  back  to  see  the 
fellow  what  I  got  him  from,  to  see  if  he'd  give  me 
back  just  mone}r  'nough  to  get  out  o'  town  with ;  but 
heard  he'd  got  out  o'  town  in  a  hurry,  and  couldn't  find 
where  he'd  gone.  Tell  yer  what,  this  hoss-tradin'  is 
wusner  'n  marriage  ;  if  yer  hit  right  you're  all  right  and 
hunky,  but  if  yer  hit  wrong  why  there  yer  be.  Been 
tryin'  ter  git  home ;  got  ter  git  home  somehow,  and  've 
walked  all  ther  way  here.  Gosh,  I  wish  I  had  that 
harness,"  and  the  traveler  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  that  told 
of  a  heart  bowed  down  by  weight  of  woe. 

"  Couldn't  catch  me  so  easy,  I'll  bet  yer,"  said  Ike 
with  a  feeling  of  pity  for  the  unsophisticated  victim. 
"  You  must  be  a  new  beginner." 

"  Wall,  not  exactly  a  beginner,"  said  the  stranger, 
"but  I'm  new  to  a  good  many  things  about  hosses  yet. 
Ever  trade  yerself  ?  "  suddenly  asked  he. 

Ike  reluctantly  admitted  his  inexperience,  and  then  in 
a  burst  of  confidence  told  the  stranger  of  his  object  in 
going  to  town. 

"  Good,"  said  the  stranger,  "  I'll  help  ye  out.  I 
know  hosses  from  A  to  Z,  and  I'll  put  ye  on  to  an  easy 
mark  in  half  an  hour  after  we  git  there.  You  jist  leave 
tilings  ter  me.  I'll  lay  the  bait  and  you  pull  in  the 
fish." 

They  drove  into  the  market-place,  and  Ike  put  up  at 
a  farmer's  resort  and  had  a  lunch.  He  had  little 
appetite,  however.  This  day  seemed  to  him  the  proud 
est  of  his  life.  He  was  no  longer  a  boy  in  his  own 
estimation,  but  a  man,  —  a  full-fledged,  independent 


IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

and  responsible  man  of  business.  How  he  would  de 
light  his  mother  with  the  proofs  of  his  business  capacity 
on  his  return.  The  stranger's  story  excited  his  sym 
pathy  for  the  victim,  but  his  self-confidence  could  not 
admit  of  a  thought  that  he  could  be  fooled  in  a  horse 
trade.  Hadn't  he  known  horses  all  his  life,  and  hadn't 
he  studied  the  arts  and  graces  of  the  few  professional 
"  horsemen  "  that  had  come  within  his  observation  since 
infancy. 

When  the  stranger  had  reached  the  market-place  he 
parted  with  Ike,  saying  that  he  would  look  around  a  bit 
and  do  his  best  to  get  on  to  the  lay  of  the  land  for  Ike's 
benefit. 

"  You  and  me  is  strangers,"  he  said,  "  so  I  can  pre 
pare  'em  fer  a  dicker  with  you  without  excitin'  suspicion. 
I'll  be  back  pretty  soon,  and  perhaps  bring  with  me 
somebody  who  wants  ter  trade.  Lots  o'  farmers  in  to 
day,  and  if  I  can  git  one  of  'em  who  is  inclined  to  do 
some  swapping  we're  most  likely  to  laud  you  on  to  a 
good  fat  swap." 

The  stranger  wandered  carelessly  among  the  stalls 
and  blacksmith  shops  that  lined  the  square,  and  was 
greeted  pleasantly  by  the  numerous  men  loitering  about 
the  place.  He  at  last  drew  near  to  a  little  crowd  of 
men  gathered  on  the  platform  of  the  hay  scales,  and 
here  his  welcome  was  most  cordial. 

"  Hullo  Rankin  !  how's  tricks?"  said  one. 

"  Jest  tolable,  jest  tolable,"  answered  Rankin. 

"  Find  anything  suited  ye  up  country  ? "  asked 
another. 

"  May  be  so,  may  be  so,"  was  the  non-committal  reply. 


THE    MORTGAGE    ON   THE   FAKM. 

"  Funny  notion  that  o'  yours,  Rankin,"  said  this 
interrogator,  "  goin'  out  on  foot  to  size  up  the  country 
as  it  were.  All  your  folks  down  in  Maine  do  it  that 
way  ?  " 

"  No,  not  all,"  said  Rankin,  "  but  it's  fine  exercise  for 
the  legs  and  wind,  and  a  feller  makes  good  use  of  his 
eyes  and  ears." 

Then  the  two  drew  to  one  side  and  entered  into  con 
versation  in  an  undertone,  in  which  the  story  of  the 
race  and  the  exchange  in  Burlington  was  retold  with 
only  a  slight  variation,  showing  that  it  was  Rankin  who 
had  got  rid  of  the  kicking  horse  and  a  stranger  from 
York  State  had  lost  wagon,  horse,  harness  and  cash. 

The  pair  laughed  uproariously,  and  Rankin  counted 
over  some  money  to  the  other. 

"  What'd  you  see  on  your  way  in  ?  "  asked  Rankin's 
companion. 

"  Best  thing  I  see  was  a  young  feller  who  picked  me 
up  this  side  the  hill-side  farm  driving  a  horse  I'd  had 
my  eye  on  since  I  fust  see  him.  I  diskivered  that 
young  feller  was  inclined  to  dicker  and  told  him  I'd 
help  him  out.  —  Where's  Herricks  feeding?  " 

" In  the  stable.     Why?" 

"  You  jest  go  fix  him  up  —  hitch  him  to  your  new 
trap  and  drive  round  ter  Bill  Hudson's  blacksmith  shop, 
and  I'll  be  there  with  the  youngster." 

Rankin  then  rejoined  Ike,  and  with  a  glad  smile 
assured  him  that  fortune  was  smiling  on  their  efforts. 
"  There'll  be  a  man  'round  here  in  a  few  minutes  with 
the  prettiest  animal  I  ever  see.  Only  thing  he  has 
against  him  's  his  color ;  says  he  can't  bear  buckskin. 


24  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

I  told  him  'bout  yours,  and  shouldn't  wonder  if  you'd 
make  a  good  dicker." 

Just  then  the  man  drove  up,  and  indeed  the  animal 
he  drove  was  a  beauty  with  noble  eyes  and  beautifully 
arched  neck,  and  as  it  stepped  jauntily  along  Ike  was 
fairly  carried  away  with  its  looks. 

"  How'll  yer  trade,  sonny  ?  "  said  the  jockey. 

"Don't  know;  how  do  you  want  me  ter  trade?"  in 
quired  Ike. 

"  Give  une  fifty  and  the  colt,  and  you  may  have  the 
buckskin,"  responded  the  jockey. 

"No,  I  won't  pay  fifty  dollars,"  said  Ike,  "but  Til 
give  you  an  even  twenty,  and  if  you  don't  care  to  accept, 
the  trade  is  off." 

"  I'll  do  it,"  declared  the  jockey. 

Ike's  heart  was  full  of  gratitude  to  the  stranger,  who 
had  shown  him  the  way  to  get  a  horse  worth  two  of  his 
own,  and  the  trade  was  quickly  consummated. 

Ike  drove  off  in  high  glee,  the  stranger  admonishing 
him  to  drive  easy  for  a  day  or  two,  as  the  horse  was  just 
in  from  pasture  and  too  soft  for  heavy  driving  at  once. 

Then  Rankin  and  the  colt's  new  owner  went  back  to 
the  stable  and  indulged  in  merriment  like  men  intoxi 
cated. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IKE'S    HORSE   TRADE. 

IKE  drove  leisurely  home  in  the  sunlight  of  the  early 
afternoon,  his  spirits  light  as  the  fleecy  clouds  that 
cast  evanescent  shadows  across  the  verdant  glory  of  the 
Vermont  hills.  No  words  can  express  the  honest  pride 
and  exultation  that  moved  him  as  he  turned  his  new 
acquisition  into  his  mother's  dooryard. 

His  mother  was  there  to  greet  him,  and  all  of  the 
family  viewed  with  surprise  and  astonishment  the  horse 
he  drove.  They  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  Ike's 
good  fortune,  but  the  mother's  heart  could  not  accept 
the  apparent  good  fortune  without  some  apprehension. 

Ike  was  putting  the  animal  through  his  paces  before 
the  admiring  eyes  of  his  brother  and  sisters  when  some 
of  his  neighbors  came  along  to  learn  what  was  going  on 
at  Glidden's  farm. 

Uriah  Jones  observed  that  the  degenerated  animal 
Ike  brought  home  had  a  spavin.  Another  said  he  had 
a  wind-gall ;  another  convinced  the  bystanders  that  he 
was  blind  of  one  eye,  while  old  man  Cole  declared  that 
he  would  wager  a  dollar  that  the  horse  would  not 
work. 

Ike  listened  good-naturedly  to  all  that  was  said,  until 
they  attempted  to  slander  his  new  horse  by  accusing  him 
of  being  baulky.  "  He's  not  a  baulky  horse,"  stoutly 

25 


26  IKE   GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

declared  Ike ;  "I  drove  him  all  the  way  from  town,  and 
he's  as  willing  and  steady  as  any  horse  you  ever  saw." 

It  was  the  old  man  Cole  who  again  turned  the  sun 
shine  to  gloom  by  a  positive  assertion  that  it  was  none 
other  than  the  Jack  Fisher  baulky  horse. 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  he's  the  Jack  Fisher  horse,"  said  Ike. 

"  Mebbe  not,  mebbe  not,"  said  the  old  man  Cole, 
somewhat  sarcastically,  "  but  you  jest  hitch  him  to  that 
stone-drag  and  see  if  he'll  haul." 

Ike,  bursting  with  wrath  at  the  insinuations,  un 
hitched  the  horse  from  the  wragon,  and  said  to  his 
younger  brother,  "  Hi,  bring  out  the  spreader  and 
traces,  and  I'll  show  these  fellows  how  little  they  know 
about  my  property." 

Having  harnessed  the  horse,  they  attached  him  to  a 
stone-drag  and  four  of  the  men  stood  on  it,  and  waited 
to  see  if  he  would  haul  them.  Ike  pulled  on  the  reins 
and  ordered  the  horse  to  go,  but  it  was  of  no  use  ;  per 
sistency,  persuasion  and  effort  were  without  avail ;  the 
horse  was  truly  baulky,  and  evidently  not  worth  a  ten-cent 
piece.  With  the  colt  and  twenty  dollars  gone,  and  all 
the  neighbors  laughing  about  his  trade,  Ike  found  him 
self  in  rather  a  mortifying  predicament.  While  the 
experiment  of  trying  the  new  horse  was  being  carried 
on,  Mrs.  Glidden  and  Grace  stood  anxiously  looking 
through  the  window,  and  when  the  supper  hour  arrived 
and  the  neighbors  departed,  Ike  and  Hiram  went  into 
the  house.  While  Mrs.  Glidden  and  Grace  were  grieved 
at  the  misfortune  of  being  swindled  out  of  a  three-year- 
old  colt,  they  were  more  sorrowful  for  Ike,  for  they 
knew  he  felt  sore  at  heart  on  account  of  his  misadventure. 


IKE'S    HORSE    TRADE.  27 

During  supper  no  reference  was  made  to  the  new 
horse,  and  when  the  meal  was  over,  Ike  immediately 
retired  to  his  chamber,  undoubtedly  with  an  aching 
head  and  heart.  He  lay  down  upon  his  bed  and  gave 
up  to  the  grief  and  disappointment  that  raged  within 
him.  Not  even  when  his  father  died  did  the  pitifulness 
of  the  family  and  his  own  condition  appeal  to  him  so 
keenly.  After  a  while  he  mastered  his  grief  and  re 
turned  to  the  sitting-room.  The  other  members  of  the 
family  tried  to  be  cheerful,  and  to  act  as  though  there 
was  nothing  to  cause  sadness  among  them.  Ike,  how 
ever,  was  too  full  of  disappointment  and  humiliation  to 
join  in  the  conversation  with  any  degree  of  pleasure, 
and  finally  retired  for  the  night. 

He  was  awake  early  next  morning  with  renewed 
courage,  and  asked  Hiram  to  assist  him  to  start  off 
before  any  of  the  neighbors  were  up.  As  Ike  was  un 
certain  when  he  left  the  house  whither  he  might  go, 
Hiram  was  unable  to  give  his  mother  and  sister  much 
more  information  than  that  he  (Ike)  should  not  return 
until  he  had  a  desirable  horse  in  his  possession.  The 
anxiety  of  the  family  during  the  day  and  particularly 
during  the  evening  could  be  perceived  in  their  muteness 
and  lack  of  social  conversation,  and  while  they  had 
always  practised  the  habit  of  retiring  quite  early,  they 
sat  up  until  nearly  midnight,  expecting  every  moment 
to  hear  hoof  sounds  coming  along  their  driveway. 
Finally  they  retired,  and  Mrs.  Glidden  vainly  tried 
to  sleep.  The  next  day  the  same  spirit  dominated  each 
of  them.  It  was  a  new  experience.  Ike  away  from 
home  and  his  whereabouts  unknown  to  them  ! 


IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

Just  after  they  had  seated  themselves  at  the  dinner 
table,  sounds  were  heard  of  a  team  coming  up  the  drive 
way  with  great  speed,  and  before  they  could  reach  the 
door  and  see  who  it  might  be,  the  familiar  sound  of 
Ike's  voice  was  heard  in  his  usual  gleeful  and  loud 
"  Hullo,  hullo  !  whoa,  whoa,  Jim  !  "  When  they  rushed 
out  to  meet  him  they  saw  one  of  the  finest  looking 
horses  in  the  whole  neighborhood,  and  one  that  proved 
to  be  an  excellent  worker  and  a  perfect  mate  for  Bis- 
mark.  It  was  indeed  a  happy  family  that  sat  at  the 
dinner  table  that  day  listening  to  the  story  of  Ike's 
experience. 

He  explained  his  early  departure  and  unexpected  trip 
from  home  ;  how  crest-fallen  he  was  when  he  found 
that  he  had  exchanged  the  colt  for  such  a  worthless 
horse  ;  how  he  resolved,  after  he  went  to  bed  that  night, 
to  start  out  the  next  morning  on  a  horse-trading  expedi 
tion,  and  not  to  return  home  until  he  obtained  such  a 
horse  as  was  needed  on  the  farm.  How  after  trading 
twice  he  fell  in  with  the  same  band  of  horse-jockeys 
that  cheated  him  out  of  the  colt,  and  how  it  was  from 
that  identical  crowd  he  obtained  the  last  horse  which  he 
brought  home. 

"  Hi,"  said  Ike  after  they  had  finished  dinner,  "you 
go  tell  them  fellows  that  were  here  laughing  the  day 
before  yesterday  to  come  and  pick  flaws  in  this  trade." 

Hiram  accordingly  extended  Ike's  invitation.  When 
they  came  and  examined  the  new  horse,  one  said,  "  He's 
a  noble  animal ;  "  another  said,  "  You've  made  a  good 
trade  this  time ; "  and  another  said,  "  Ike,  you're  a 
brick."  Ike  was  then  willing  to  challenge  the  old  man 


IKE'S   HORSE    TRADE.  29 

Cole  or  any  of  the  neighbors  that  his  team  would  drive 
or  work  better  than  any  other  pair  of  horses  in  the 
town. 

At  this  time  Hiram  was  able  to  assist  in  many  of  the 
details  about  the  farm,  and  Grace  was  always  ready  to 
help  her  mother,  and  everything  had  an  air  of  pros 
perity. 

Ike  was  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  adventure  and  a 
desire  to  test  the  opportunities  afforded  in  this  world  for 
an  active  young  man,  and  after  due  deliberation  decided 
to  leave  home  as  soon  as  he  could  arrange  to  do  so. 
He  continued  to  manage  the  farm  until  he  was  twenty- 
one,  and  then  told  his  mother  of  his  plans  and  inten 
tions,  and  reminded  her  that  Hiram  was  now  the  same 
age  that  he  was  when  he  took  charge  of  his  father's 
affairs,  and  that  the  family  had  now  reached  that  state 
at  which  they  could  dispense  with  his  assistance.  All 
the  family  made  strenuous  objections ;  but  Ike  was  of 
a  very  positive  disposition,  aggressive,  and  relentless 
in  carrying  out  his  plans ;  and  regardless  of  protesta 
tions,  one  day  packed  his  trunk  and  set  out  for  Provi 
dence,  R.  I. 


CHAPTER   V. 

IKE    GOES    TO    MAINE. 

WHEN  Ike  arrived  in  Providence  lie  was  quite  un 
polished  in  manner,  yet  his  rough  and  ready 
appearance  seemed  to  indicate  great  energy  and  a  deal 
of  industry  and  determination.  After  some  efforts  he 
secured  a  position  as  coachman  with  a  wealthy  lawyer 
named  Burgess. 

Ike  was  soon  recognized  by  Mr.  Burgess  as  a  bright 
young  man,  likely  to  be  faithful,  and  who  gave  evidence 
of  more  intellect  than  is  usually  found  in  one  of  his 
peculiar  appearance. 

So  one  morning  he  said,  "  Glidden,  could  you  collect 
rents?"  Ike  was  somewhat  surprised,  but  with  his 
usual  assurance  replied,  "  Yes,  sir ;  I  think  I  could." 
"Can  you  read  and  write?"  "Well,  Mr.  Burgess,  I 
am  not  a  master  of  the  art  of  writing,  but  I  think  I 
could  write  a  rent  receipt,  if  that  would  be  sufficient." 
"  Very  well,  I  need  you  at  my  office,  and  I  will  engage 
a  man  to  fill  your  position  as  coachman." 

Ike  accordingly  went  to  the  office,  and  was  assigned 
a  small  table  in  a  corner  at  the  desk  that  had  been  used 
by  the  former  rent  collector  of  Mr.  Burgess.  He  was 
instructed  as  to  his  duties,  and  equipped  with  a  file  of 
receipt  blanks  and  a  list  of  delinquent  tenants. 

Mr.  Burgess  enjoyed  an  extensive  law  practice,  be- 

30 


IKE    GOES   TO   MAINE.  31 

sides  being  trustee  of  many  large  estates.  Among  these 
was  the  estate  of  Jonathan  Wiggins,  consisting  of  im 
mense  mining  properties  and  cattle  ranches  in  the  West. 
The  ownership  of  this  vast  estate  had  for  years  been  in 
litigation  by  reason  of  so  many  different  claimants,  yet 
the  legal  heir  had  not  been  found. 

Mr.  Burgess  had  occasion  to  be  absent  from  home 
frequently,  while  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  Wig 
gins  estate  and  had  in  his  employ  a  young  lawyer 
named  Alfred  Marks,  to  whom  he  intrusted  the  care 
and  management  of  his  office  during  his  absence  in  the 
West.  Marks  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  of  in 
flexible  integrity  and  much  beloved  by  his  acquaintances, 
but  he  had  one  commom  fault.  His  sociability  led  him, 
in  spite  of  his  judgment,  into  frequent  excesses  of  drink. 
Ike's  amiable  disposition  and  originality  soon  won  for 
him  the  esteem  of  Marks,  who  also  admired  Ike's  pecu 
liar  aptness  for  grappling  with  questions  on  important 
matters. 

While  Mr.  Burgess  was  in  the  West  Marks  usually 
had  some  clients  of  his  own,  but  it  seemed  they  were 
principally  of  the  criminal  class.  Ike  noticed  that 
among  them  were  some  peculiar  characters.  One  day  a 
man  of  ministerial  mien  called  on  Marks,  and  Ike  took 
the  liberty  to  ask  who  the  distinguished-looking  man 
might  be.  Marks  replied,  "  Glidden,  confidentially 
speaking  that  is  one  of  the  greatest  crooks  in  the 
country.  He  has  employed  me  to  defend  his  pal,  who 
is  charged  with  burglary." 

Mr.  Burgess  remained  away  from  fall  until  spring, 
and  during  that  time  it  often  happened  that  Marks  was 


32  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

dissipating,  leaving  to  Ike  the  care  of  the  office,  and  the 
duty  of  saying  to  each  of  the  numerous  callers,  "  Mr. 
Marks  is  out  of  town  to-day  on  business  of  importance." 
During  the  hours  in  which  Ike  was  alone  at  the  office 
Rastus,  the  colored  janitor  of  the  building,  became  an 
habitual  caller  and  frequently  entertained  him  by  ex 
pressing  in  his  characteristic  manner  his  ideas  of  public 
matters. 

One  day  after  Rastus  had  finished  a  harangue  on  the 
trust  problem,  Ike,  who  had  hardly  heard  Rastus,  said 
almost  unconsciously,  "  Since  I've  been  in  this  office 
I've  acquired  an  ambition  to  be  a  lawyer.  I  have  an 
excellent  opportunity  here  to  study ;  Marks  has  given 
me  great  encouragement.  I  have  made  three  or  four 
attempts  to  study ;  but  it  seems  utterly  impossible  for 
me  to  apply  myself  long  enough  to  learn  anything,  so  I 
have  been  obliged  to  abandon  the  hope  altogether." 

"  Dat's  w'ere  you're  right,"  said  Rastus,  "  de  law  am 
a  great  perfwession,  but  w'at  yo  want  to  study  fo  ?  You 
am  on'y  wastin'  yo  time,  chile.  De  law  is  like  de 
human  fambly.  I  don't  tink  it  any  use  to  wase  time 
studin'  books  to  learn  human  natur',  an'  it  am  de  same 
wid  de  law." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  necessary  to  study  books  in 
order  to  learn  the  law  ?  "  said  Ike. 

"  It  ain't  in  de  books.  I  say  law  is  like  human  natur' ; 
it's  in  de  man,"  responded  Rastus. 

"  Why,  Rastus,  what  do  you  mean  ?  I  do  not  under 
stand  you." 

"  I  mean  dat  if  a  man  is  smaht  he  can  be  smaht  'nuff 
lawyer  if  he  doan  read  no  law  books,"  answered  Rastus. 


IKE    GOES   TO   MAINE. 

"  That  may  be  true ;  but  it  is  of  course  necessary  to 
study  the  science  of  the  law  in  order  to  practise  it," 
said  Ike. 

"  No,  sir,  dat  am'  so  ;  de  mo  he  study  de  less  he  know 
about  de  conundrum  and  dat's  wat  de  law  am,  jess  de 
same  as  de  client  wat  wants  de  law.  You'll  allus  find 
he's  a  conundrum  or  he  wouldn't  be  wantin'  ter  git  inter 
law.  You  see  when  a  man  comes  here  to  git  inter  law, 
yer  can't  keep  him  out  'cause  he's  bound  ter  git  in. 
Show  me  any  pusson  what  wants  de  law,  an'  I'll  show 
yer  a  conundrum,  'cause  he's  a  mystery  even  ter  de 
lawyer  what  takes  de  case." 

"  Rastus,  it  seems  to  me  your  notions  are  rather 
peculiar." 

"  I  once  heard  a  great  lawyer  say  dat  de  '  Statue  quo 
of  de  law  was  de  perfecshun  ob  reason' ;  dat  is,  a  man 
what's  got  de  good  reason  am  a  good  lawyer  whedder 
he  ebber  read  de  books  on  law  or  not." 

"Well,  did  you  agree  with  him,  Rastus?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  Dis  law  bizness  am  a  great  mystry  to 
mos'  people,  an'  de  human  farnbly  is  'bout  de  same 
wherebber  it  am  found.  It  hab  always  been  so,  and  I 
reckon  always  will  be.  Dar  yo  see,  mystry,  flosopln 
and  de  human  fambly  am  'bout  de  same,  and  so  am  de 
law.  Books  doan  make  de  lawyer ;  I  tell  yo  it  am  de 
man,  and  ef  yo  goin'  to  study  you  should  study  de 
man." 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Because  de  books  doan  tell  yo  how  to  get  de  coin  ; 
ef  yo  know  how  to  size  a  man  up,  dat's  all  yo  want." 

"  Oh,  I  think  there  are  other  matters  to  be  considered 


34  IKE    GL1DDEN    IN    MAINE. 

in  a  lawyer's  success  beside  that  of  the  amount  of 
money  he  receives,"  said  Ike. 

Just  then  a  call  for  Rastus  from  the  elevator  man 
prevented  him  from  completing  his  exposition  on  the 
study  of  law. 

Ike  had  heard  him  talk  on  so  many  subjects  in  about 
the  same  way  that  he  was  not  so  much  amused  at  his 
sayings  as  when  he  first  entered  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Burgess. 

This  conversation  with  Rastus,  however  ridiculous  it 
might  have  been,  evidently  had  a  tendency  to  encourage 
Ike  that  possibly  he  might  some  time  practise  law  as 
successfully  as  many  Lawyers,  notwithstanding  his  in 
ability  to  persevere  in  study.  The  knowledge  he  had 
acquired  from  observation  since  coming  to  that  office 
might  certainly  prove  a  valuable  resource  in  the  con 
duct  of  almost  any  business,  added  to  which  he  was  con 
tinually  gaining  a  greater  knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Frequently  he  thought  that  there  might  be  a  time  when 
he  would  be  competent  to  conduct  an  office  of  his  own. 

After  Mr.  Burgess  returned  from  the  West  in  the 
spring  he  decided  to  add  another  pair  of  driving  horses 
to  his  already  well-equipped  stables,  and  had  become 
particularly  interested  in  a  pair  of  Maine-bred  horses 
that  had  been  highly  recommended  to  him. 

Knowing  that  Ike  was  somewhat  familiar  with  horses 
and  their  respective  value,  he  said  to  him,  "  Mr.  Glid- 
den,  there's  a  pair  of  horses  down  in  Maine  that  I  think 
may  suit  me,  and  I  want  you  to  go  down  there  and  look 
them  over.  Here  is  a  hundred  dollars  to  cover  expenses, 
and  the  name  and  residence  of  the  owner  of  them. 


IKE    GOES   TO    MAINE.  35 

Take  the  Pullman  this  evening,  go  down  and  examine 
them,  and  if  you  think  they  would  suit  me,  buy  them 
at  as  low  a  price  as  possible,  and  give  the  owner  a  draft 
on  me  for  the  amount." 

Ike  accordingly  took  the  train  that  evening,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  the  town  where  the  owner  of  the  horses  re 
sided  and  purchased  them  at  a  price  that  he  considered 
reasonable. 

While  on  his  trip  to  Maine  an  advertisement  in  a 
newspaper  attracted  his  attention,  which  read  as  fol 
lows  : 

WANTED  :  —  A  lawyer  to  locate  in  this  town.  Ex 
cellent  chance  for  a  good  collector.  For  further  infor 
mation  enclose  stamp.  Address  P.  O.,  Box  XYZ,  Blue 
berry  Falls,  Me. 

"  Here's  my  chance,"  said  Ike  as  he  read  this  peculiar 
notice.  "  I  think  I  answer  all  the  requirements  of  that 
advertisement  even  if  I  have  not  studied  the  law.  I 
have  a  notion  to  go  down  there,  and  give  the  business  a 
trial.  Rastus  said  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  study 
law  in  order  to  practise  it  successfully,  and  I've  begun 
to  think  that  he's  about  right,  and  that  as  long  as  a  fel 
low's  got  some  good  horse  sense,  can  appear  wise  and 
take  time  to  look  up  cases  after  the  business  comes  to 
him,  he  can  win  out  in  the  law  business.  Blamed  if  I 
don't  go  down  there  soon  as  I  ship  these  horses,  and 
look  that  place  over." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   NEW    LAWYER. 

WHEN  Ike  arranged  matters  pertaining  to  the 
shipment  of  the  horses  he  had  purchased,  he 
started  for  Blueberry  Falls  "  for  further  information  " 
about  the  place  in  which  a  lawyer  was  really  "  wanted." 
The  railway  through  that  section  of  Maine  was  only 
under  process  of  construction,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
travel  a  greater  part  of  the  journey  by  horse  and  car 
riage  over  rough  roads.  He  made  frequent  attempts  to 
obtain  some  information  from  the  driver,  a  young  chap 
named  Zeke  Kirk,  about  the  place  and  people  of  the 
village  to  which  he  was  going.  But  Zeke's  knowledge 
consisted  merely  of  a  familiarity  with  the  horse  frater 
nity,  the  spavins  and  wind-galls  of  the  different  horses 
owned  in  that  section,  and  a  slight  acquaintance  with 
the  young  ladies  of  the  village  who  attended  the 
country  dances.  The  business  interests  of  the  place 
had  not  sufficiently  impressed  his  memory  to  enable 
him  to  give  Ike  the  desired  information,  except  that 
"  There  is  two  blueberry  factories,  an  ole  tumbled-down 
saw  mill  by  the  bridge,  and  a  man  what  keeps  a  store 
named  Ansel  Hicks." 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  when  they  reached  their 
destination.  On  their  arrival  at  the  hotel  the  landlord 
came  out  and  courteously  greeted  them,  and  after  Ike 

36 


THE   NEW    LAWYER.  37 

entered  the  house,  and  became  seated  at  the  table  and 
was  served  with  an  excellent  supper  for  which  this 
favorite  hostelry  is  so  well  known,  he  remarked  to  him 
self,  "Well,  this  is  a  gem  of  a  hotel,  and  I  hope  I'll 
find  the  rest  of  the  town  as  satisfactory."  At  an  early 
hour  he  sought  rest  from  the  fatigue  of  travel,  and 
waited  for  morning  and  daylight  for  an  observation  of 
the  village.  He  arose  early  next  morning  and  went 
out  for  a  stroll.  The  first  object  that  attracted  his 
attention  was  an  old  man  sweeping  off  the  platform  of 
a  store  over  the  door  of  which  was  the  sign  "  A.  Hicks." 
As  he  passed  the  store  he  was  kindly  saluted  with 
"  How'd  do?  Up  prutty  early,  ain't  yer?  What  kind 
of  goods  be  yer  a-sellin'?  "  Ike  informed  him  that  he 
was  not  a  commercial  salesman,  and  that  he  was  simply 
taking  an  early  stroll  around  town  just  to  see  the  place. 
Then  the  old  gentleman  pompously  apprised  Ike  that 
he  was  proprietor  of  that  store,  and  had  been  doing 
business  there  in  that  same  building  for  more  than 
forty  years.  Ike  in  response  said,  "  Well,  then  you  must 
be  Mr.  Ansel  Hicks ;  I  think  I  have  heard  of  you  before." 

Ansel  somewhat  alarmed  (for  he  suspected  that  Ike 
was  a  representative  of  one  of  his  Boston  creditors) 
said,  "  Where  in  the  world  did  you  ever  hear  of  me 
before  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  being  a  business  man  here,  it  is  not  un 
common  to  hear  mention  of  your  name  in  business 
houses." 

"  Well,  sir,  be  you  from  Boston  ?  P'raps  you're  down 
here,  a-tryin'  to  start  up  the  brickyard." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Ike  nonchalantly. 


IKE    GLIDDEN   IX    MAINE. 

"Suppose,  then,  you're  a-goin'  up  river  a-fislmf  for 
some  trout  before  you  go  back  ?  " 

"  No,  I  think  all  the  trout  I  catch  while  here,  if  any, 
will  be  in  the  village,"  said  Ike,  whose  mind  at  this 
particular  period  of  his  life  was  running  on  more  serious 
things  than  pleasure  trips. 

"What  business  do  you  follow,  sir?"  said  Ansel, 
unconscious  of  the  question  he  was  really  asking  the 
stranger. 

To  this  seeming  intrusiveness  Ike  responded  with  a 
dignified  manner,  "  I  am  a  lawyer." 

At  this  startling  announcement  Ansel  almost  had  a 
series  of  shocks,  for  he  made  up  his  mind  for  a  certainty 
that,  if  this  apparently  mysterious  stranger  was  a  lawyer, 
he  had  been  sent  by  his  Boston  creditors  to  close  his 
store ;  after  a  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  his  nerves  seemed 
to  steady  down  somewhat  and  he  said,"  Well,  if  I'd  get 
in  some  of  what's  owin'  ter  me,  I'd  be  all  right." 

"  Then  you  undoubtedly  have  some  overdue  accounts 
on  your  books,  that  should  be  turned  over  to  some  one 
for  collection,"  said  Ike  in  a  sort  of  soliciting  manner. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ansel,  "  but  yer  know  if  I  want  ter 
trustee  any  one  I  have  ter  send  ter  Deblois,  and  by  the 
time  the  writ  gets  here,  the  feller  is  got  his  pay,  and 
there  is  nothin'  left  fer  me.  I  thought  maybe  there 
might  be  some  young  lawyer  willin'  ter  come  and 
locate  here  for  what  little  business  we  might  work  up 
for  him  and  I  advertised  fer  one,  and  as  yet  haven't 
heam  from  any.  Think  I'd  be  all  right  if  I  only  had  a  law 
yer  here  to  help  me  get  picked  up,  and  straightened  out." 

"  I  saw  your  advertisement,"  said  Ike,  "  I  decided  to 


THE    NEW   LAWYER.  39 

come  and  investigate  for  myself,  rather  than  to  write 
for  information,  and  perhaps  be  the  victim  of  a  joke. 
So  the  advertisement  is  all  straight,  and  you  are  the 
man  who  caused  it  to  be  inserted  ?  " 

The  demeanor  of  Ike,  his  quasi-omniscient  air,  and 
earnestness  in  the  last  interrogative,  seemed  to  alarm 
Ansel  a  little  more.  The  latter  thought,  perhaps  he 
had  done  something  wrong  by  causing  such  an  adver 
tisement  to  be  published,  and  was  liable  to  prosecution 
for  it,  and  he  was  so  apprehensive  of  trouble  of  some 
kind  that  he  was  puzzled  over  the  situation,  but  an 
swered,  "Yes,  I'm  the  man." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  you  think  there  is  a  chance  for  a  young 
lawyer  to  make  a  living  I  would  like  to  know  it,"  said  Ike. 

"  Well,"  hesitatingly  and  nervously  replied  Ansel, 
"  you're  sure  you're  not  down  here  for  any  mischief, 
and  got  some  bills  agin  me  from  those  Boston  fellers  ?  " 

"  No,  why,  no  indeed,  Mr.  Hicks  ;  I  am  here  to  locate, 
to  open  a  law  office  and  to  assist  you  and  every  other 
person  in  the  vicinity  that  may  desire  my  services," 
said  Ike. 

"  Come  in  ;  why  didn't  yer  tell  me  when  yer  first  cum 
down  the  street  what  yer  cum  fer  ?  I  was  a  little  mis 
trustful  of  you,  and  thought  from  appearances  perhaps 
you  might  be  somebody  else.  What  I  tell  yer,  mind,  is 
between  me  and  you ;  if  you  will  stay  here  I  will  give 
you  more  bills  than  you  can  collect  in  a  whole  year," 
said  Ansel. 

Ike  replied,  "  I  thank  you  for  your  extreme  kindness 
in  offering  me  so  much  business ;  perhaps  there  may  be 
a  few  that  I  could  not  collect  in  two  years,  if  at  all ; 


40  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

however,  I  shall  do  the  best  I  can  to  recover  your 
money  from  your  debtors,  and  would  thank  you  if  you 
would  kindly  suggest  where  there  is  a  vacant  room 
suitable  for  an  office." 

"  I  belong  to  ther  church,  and  yer  can  have  the  vestry 
of  the  meetin'-house  until  Ame  Blibbers  moves  his  car 
penter  bench  out  from  the  room  over  the  blacksmith 
shop  across  the  way.  My  wife's  father  owned  the 
building ;  I'm  a  widerer  now,  but  have  charge  of  the 
buildin'  jest  ther  same,  and  I'll  put  Ame  out  of  it  to-day, 
because  he  hain't  paid  no  rent  for  more  than  five  year," 
determinedly  said  Ansel.  "  Thank  you,"  answered  Ike  ; 
"  I  notice  by  the  town  clock  that  it  is  five  minutes  of 
seven,  and  think  I  will  return  to  the  hotel  for  break 
fast,  and  will  see  you  later  in  the  day." 

As  Ike  was  leaving  a  man  drove  up  in  front  of  the 
store,  and  remaining  in  his  wagon  called  out,  "Anse, 
bring  me  a  piece  of  terbacker,"  which  command  Ansel 
promptly  obeyed.  Then  Ike  heard  the  man  in  the 
wagon  ask  Ansel,  "  Who's  that  air  proud-steppin'  feller 
what  jest  cum  out  of  here  ?  Cal'late  he  must  be  one  of 
them  gov'ment  pension  detectifs." 

"Oh  no,  proudly  said  Ansel,  "that  is  the  new 
lawyer." 

"  Ther  what  ? "  said  the  man  in  the  wagon,  in  an 
amazed  tone,  "  Why  he'll  be  a-suin'  ther  hull  o'  us." 

And  just  as  Ike  was  turning  into  the  hotel  yard  he 
heard  the  voice  of  the  storekeeper  from  across  the 
street  say,  "  Who  did  you  say  'twas,  Anse  ?  "  and  he 
naturally  paused  to  hear  the  answer,  when  Anse  re 
sponded  in  quite  a  loud  tone,  "  The  New  Lawyer." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HIS   FIRST   CASE. 

BLUEBERRY  FALLS,  the  most  important  village 
on  Snake  River,  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
center  of  the  blueberry  industry.  It  is  situated  in  the 
lower  end  of  a  valley,  which  extends  for  many  miles 
along  the  course  of  the  river.  A  few  miles  from  the 
village  the  valley  widens,  and  stretches  out  over  a  vast 
plain,  where  blueberries  grow  in  abundance. 

After  breakfast  Ike  strolled  through  the  village,  and 
spent  the  day  in  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  residents 
of  the  place.  He  secured,  in  a  good  location,  a  pleasant 
room  for  an  office,  and  one  of  the  merchants  kindly 
volunteered  to  loan  him  a  large  old-fashioned  desk,  which 
was  gladly  accepted ;  another  sent  him  two  odd  chairs, 
and  Ansel  Hicks  sent  him  a  copy  of  the  Revised  Statutes 
of  the  edition  of  1857. 

The  next  morning  found  Ike  established  in  an  office, 
ready  for  the  practice  of  law,  and  wondering  what  the 
nature  of  his  first  case  might  be. 

1  le  began  to  meditate  on  the  mockery  of  his  attempting 
to  administer  the  edicts  of  law  to  people  in  quest  of  a 
legalized  track  to  pursue  in  preserving  their  rights.  He 
reflected  on  the  audacious  course  his  ambition  had  led 
him  to  adopt.  "  But  then,  I've  posed  as  a  lawyer  to  Ansel, 
and  why  can't  I  be  just  as  successful  with  the  others,"  he 

41 


42  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

said  to  himself.  "I'm  here,  and  I  am  not  going  to  weaken 
for  want  of  assurance.  I'll  try  the  experiment  before  I 
surrender  my  inclination  to  be  a  lawyer.  I've  got  ten 
times  as  much  good  judgment  as  Marks,  and  why  can't  I 
get  along  all  right.  There,  I  must  write  to  Mr.  Burgess 
and  get  the  letter  in  the  next  mail  before  I  forget  it." 

He  wrote  in  an  off-hand  style,  the  following  composi 
tion  :  - 

BLUEBERRY  FALLS,  MAINE,  —  — . 
Hon.  HENRY  BURGESS,  Providence,  II.  I. 

Dear  Mr.  Burgess  :  I  hereby  tender  my  resignation  as 
one  of  your  employees.  The  horses  were  shipped  to 
Providence  on  the  day  I  sent  you  the  telegram.  I  gave 
the  parties  a  draft  on  you  for  the  purchase  pi-ice  of  the 
horses.  There  was  a  balance  of  $40  left  of  the  8100 
you  gave  me  when  leaving,  after  my  traveling  expenses 
were  paid,  and  that  nearly  pays  two  weeks'  salary  due 
me. 

I  am  in  business  here  for  myself.  Please  have  Ilastus 
send  my  trunk  to  me,  and  oblige 

Your  obedient  servant, 

ISAAC  GLIDDEN. 

About  the  time  he  finished  the  letter  resigning  his  situ 
ation  with  Mr.  Burgess,  the  door  of  his  office  opened 
quietly,  and  there  appeared  before  his  bewildered  vision  a 
picture  of  youth  and  beauty  that  made  his  heart  leap. 
She  was  a  girl  of  perhaps  sixteen  summers,  and  with  a 
great  deal  of  embarrassment  he  waited  for  her  to  make 
her  business  known  to  him.  The  maiden  stood  alone, 
with  eyes  downcast,  as  if  gathering  courage  to  speak. 
At  length  she  spoke,  and  he  listened  in  rapturous  expec 
tancy  to  hear  what  cause  demanded  his  championship 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  43 

for  such  a  fair  client.     "  I've  got  a  dreadful  bad  tooth,' 
she  said,  "  an'  Ma  said  it  ought  to  be  pulled."     Pointing 
to  the  offending  molar,  she  continued,  "It's  right  here." 

Ike  for  a  moment  was  transfixed  with  astonishment. 
He  had  not  expected  that  his  first  case  would  require 
such  a  broad  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  law, 
but  his  old  self-assurance  returned  to  him  immediately. 
"  Please  be  seated,"  he  said,  "  and  I'll  twitch  that  out  in 
a  jiffy." 

He  made  straight  for  the  room  opposite,  occupied  by 
a  shoemaker,  borrowed  a  pair  of  pincers,  and  returned 
to  his  office.  The  girl  shut  her  eyes,  and  opened  her 
mouth.  With  a  firm  and  steady  grip  Ike  placed  the 
pincers  on  the  aching  tooth,  and  with  a  quick  wrench 
of  the  hand,  removed  it  from  the  socket.  So  deftly 
was  it  done  that  the  young  lady  had  scarcely  time  to 
utter  the  scream  of  pain  against  which  she  had  been 
fortifying  herself.  "There  you  are,  Miss,"  Ike  said  as 
he  passed  her  a  glass  of  water.  "  I  hope  all  your 
troubles  will  pass  away  as  easily  as  this  one  did.  Never 
mind  your  change,"  said  Ike,  smiling,  "It's  my  first  law 
case,  and  I  will  celebrate  it  by  not  taking  a  fee." 

"  Ain't  you  a  dentist?"  asked  the  girl. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Ike,  "  I  am  a  lawyer,"  and  they  both 
laughed  merrily  at  the  joke.  After  the  girl  had  gone, 
Ike  opened  the  door,  and  tore  down  the  dentist  sign  that 
had  been  a  useless  ornament  to  the  door  of  the  office 
since  the  village  dentist  removed  from  town.  But 
through  all  that  day,  and  for  many  days  thereafter,  the 
pleasant  face  of  his  first  client  haunted  him. 

Shortly  after  the  tooth-pulling  episode,  voices  and  foot- 


44  IKE   GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

steps  were  heard,  indicating  the  arrival  of  other  possible 
clients,  and  Ike  quivered  as  he  tried  to  form  an  idea  of 
what  his  next  case  might  be. 

"  Well,  sir,  here  you  be,"  was  heard,  and  Ansel  Hicks 
appeared  in  the  doorway,  preceding  another  man,  ap 
parently  of  the  same  age,  whom  Ansel  introduced  as 
Deacon  Squirm,  a  brother-in-law,  and  explained  that  his 
wife  was  the  only  sister  of  the  deacon. 

Ansel,  evidently  with  a  desire  to  impress  the  lawyer 
with  his  important  position  as  a  business  man,  com 
menced  in  a  slow  and  drawling  manner  to  relate  some 
of  the  details  of  the  large  business  he  had  carried  on 
there  in  days  gone  by. 

Ike,  perhaps  a  little  impatient  to  know  the  object  of 
their  call  and  taking  it  for  granted  that  Mr.  Hicks  was 
somewhat  slow  in  arriving  at  the  real  issue,  suddenly 
said,  "What  can  I  do  for  you,  gentlemen?  " 

"  Oh,  well,  yer  know  the  deacon  and  me  owns  some 
land,  side  by  side,  a  thousand  acre  in  each  lot,  an'  I'm 
a-goin,  ter  sell  mine  ter  ther  deacon  and  I  want  a  deed 
made,"  said  Ansel. 

"  All  right,  sir,  what  is  the  description  of  the  land  you 
wish  to  convey  ?  have  you  any  documents  for  reference  in 
order  to  fix  the  butts  and  bounds  ?  "  and  Ike  mentally 
struggled  with  the  sickeningfearthathisknowledgeof  con 
veyancing  would  be  insufficient  to  meet  the  requirements, 

"  It's  a  tract  of  blueberry  land  in  township  IXL,  that 
Samuel  Squirm,  the  deacon's  father,  originally  owned, 
and  there  wuz  two  thousand  acre  in  ther  block  at  fust, 
and  when  he  died  yer  see,  it  then  went  ter  ther  deacon 
an'  my  wife,  'cause  they  wuz  the  only  children." 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  45 

"  Yes,  I  understand ;  then,  after  the  old  gentleman 
died,  your  wife  and  deacon  Squirm  were  the  only  heirs," 
said  Ike. 

"Yes,  sir,  that's  the  way  o'  it,"  the  deacon  affirmed. 

Ansel  explained  that  he  owned  the  east  half  of  the 
two-thousand-acre  block,  and  the  deacon  owned  the  west 
half,  and  that  he  was  afraid  his  creditors  would  seize  it, 
so  he  had  decided  to  sell  it  to  the  deacon,  even  at  a  small 
price. 

Ike  asked  Ansel  how  he  acquired  title  to  it,  and  the 
answer  was,  "  Why,  bless  yer  life,  my  wife  is  now  dead 
this  ten  year,  an'  I  take  her  part,  don't  I  ?  " 

"  Well,  there  may  be  some  question  about  that,  as  I 
understand  you  to  say  you  have  a  son,  and  he  is,  of 
course,  the  real  heir  to  your  wife's  estate,  subject  to  your 
right  of  dower ;  and  as  this  blueberry  land  seems  to  me 
to  be  characterized  as  wild  land  I  do  not  think  that  you 
even  have  any  dower  interest  in  the  thousand  acres  you 
refer  to." 

"  What  kind  o'  law  is  that  ?  Do  you  say  I  don't  own 
that  thousand  acres?  "  indignantly  inquired  Ansel. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hicks,  suppose  you  do  own  the  east  half, 
and  deacon  Squirm  owns  the  west  half,  when  was  it 
divided?" 

"  The  summer  after  the  old  gentleman  died,  and  that 
wuz  eleven  year  ago,"  answered  the  deacon. 

"  Who  has  the  papers  that  were  passed  at  the  time 
the  division  was  made  ?  Have  you  brought  any  of  them 
with  you?"  inquired  Ike. 

"  Yes,"  said  Ansel,  pulling  from  his  pocket  a  torn  frag 
ment  of  what  apparently  had  been  a  legal  document,  and 


46  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

handing  to  Ike  what  had  been  a  part  of  a  deed,  continued, 
"  Here  is  mine." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Hicks,  but  when  it  was  divided,  and  a  line 
run ;  you  gave  the  deacon  a  deed  of  release  of  all  on  the 
west  side  of  that  line,  and  he  gave  yon  a  similar  deed  of 
all  on  the  east  side,  and  I  mean  the  deed  from  the  deacon 
to  you?" 

"  Bless  yer  life !  ain't  I  give  yer  ther  title  of  me  an' 
my  wife  ter  it,  ther  deacon  an'  me  an'  Hob  Hunt,  the 
surveyor,  went  up  an'  run  the  line  off  an'  set  up  stakes, 
'tween  the  east  half  an'  the  west  half,  an'  I  said  ter  ther 
deacon  "  take  yer  choice,"  and  he  tuk  ther  west  half,  and 
I  tuk  the  east  side  fer  Lucy  Ann,  my  wife.  And  then 
when  she  died,  her  part  cum  ter  me,  yer  see,  "cause  I'm 
her  widerer." 

"  Were  not  any  writings,  papers  or  ne\v  deeds  made 
out  at  the  time  the  land  was  divided? " 

"  Xo,  sir,  what  was  the  good  of  any  new  deed?  wusn't 
the  old  one  good  enough  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Hicks,  I  understand  that  about  the  survey, 
the  stakes,  the  dividing  line,  and  about  the  occupancy 
since  then  of  the  east  and  west  parts  of  the  land  ;  but 
wasn't  there  any  transfer  of  deeds  at  the  time,  as  proof 
or  evidence  that  a  division  of  the  land  was  made  ?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course  there  was ;  ain't  I  alreddy  given  you 
my  part  of  ther  deed?  when  we  divided  ther  land  we  di 
vided  ther  deed  in  two,  and  when  the  deacon  chose  ther 
west  half  of  the  land,  of  course  lie  took  the  left-hand  half 
of  the  deed,  and  I  took  the  right-hand  half  of  the  deed 
because  I  was  to  have  the  east  side  of  the  land." 

"  Oh,  I  see,  Mr.  Hicks,  you  divided  the  land  by  cut- 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  47 

ting  the  deed  into  equal  parts,  and  you  took  one  and  the 
deacon  the  other,"  laughingly  replied  Ike. 

"  Yes,  and  that  piece  of  the  deed  in  your  hand  is  my 
part  of  the  land,"  nervously  said  Ansel.  Ike  did  not 
know  how  to  make  a  deed,  but  was  bound  not  to  acknow 
ledge  his  deficiency,  and  said,  — 

"  I  see  ;  I'll  fix  you  all  right  in  a  minute,  hold  up  your 
right  hand,  Mr.  Hicks ;  now,  Mr.  Hicks,  you  repeat  after 
me,  — 

"  '  Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  Ansel 
Hicks,  dealer  in  hardware  and  general  groceries  in  Blue 
berry  Falls,  do  solemnly  on  my  oath  pronounce,  declare, 
give,  bargain,  sell  and  convey,  give  over  and  forever  give 
up  to  Jonathan  Squirm  this  half  of  the  lot  of  land  in 
Township  IXL  that  was  given  to  me  by  Samuel  Squirm 
after  he  died  when  he  give  it  to  my  wife,  and  she  give  it 
to  me,  because  I'm  her  widerer,  so  help  me  God.' ' 

When  Ansel  had  finished  the  proclamation  Ike  said, 
"  Now,  Mr.  Hicks,  we'll  place  a  big  seal  on  this  paper 
and  you  pass  it  to  Deacon  Squirm,  an'  that  makes  it  all 
right." 

The  paper  was  passed,  and  three  sighs  of  relief  made 
the  walls  of  the  room  echo  in  the  office,  and  Ike's  sigh 
expressed  the  most  satisfaction. 

When  they  reached  the  street  they  were  loud  in  their 
praises  of  the  legal  knowledge  and  sagacity  of  the  new 
lawyer. 

Ike's  next  client  came  to  secure  his  services  in  the 
defence  of  a  friend  who  was  charged  with  being  guilty 
of  the  crime  of  selling  liquor.  The  messenger,  bowed 
with  age  and  bent  with  long  years  of  toil  and  physical 


48  IKE   GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

struggle,  calmly  asserted,  as  he  puffed  away  on  a  clay 
pipe,  that  the  prisoner  was  innocent.  After  handing  Ike 
a  fee  he  told  him  that  the  trial  would  be  held  in  the 
vestry  of  the  meeting-house.  Ike  assured  him  that  he 
would  be  there  at  the  time  appointed  to  hear  the  case. 

Sile  Lombard  was  a  constable,  who  made  it  a  part  of 
his  sacred  duty  to  ferret  out  and  chastise  the  offenders  of 
the  petty  peace  laws,  and  since  a  lawyer  settled  in  the 
village  gloried  in  the  fact  that  now  he  would  have  an 
opportunity  to  take  his  cases  to  court. 

About  this  time  a  temperance  revival  had  crept  into 
the  village  as  the  out-and-out  Prohibitionists  were  becom 
ing  alarmed  because  of  the  sale  and  free  use  of  Jamaica 
ginger  and  hard  cider  mixed.  They  claimed  that  four 
drinks  of  this  concoction  were  sufficient  to  send  even  the 
best  trained  toddy-drinker  down  the  street  with  a  twist 
in  his  walk  and  his  head  full  of  grand  opera  airs.  An 
organized  system  was  being  made  to  prosecute  any  per 
son  found  guilty  of  selling  such  vile  liquors.  The  services 
of  the  constable  were  engaged  to  perform  detective  duty. 
He  insisted  that  Bill  was  not  only  an  habitual  drunkard, 
but  that  he  was  also  guilty  of  selling  liquor.  A  warrant 
was  procured  from  Squire  Blunt,  and  Bill  was  appre 
hended  and  held  for  trial. 

After  the  arrest  Lickety  Billings  claimed  that  it  was 
Bill  who  stole  an  ulster  from  his  meat  wagon,  and  in 
sisted  on  airing  the  charge  against  him  in  court.  People 
had  been  expecting  Bill  to  get  into  trouble  for  some  time 
and  Sile  had  been  shadowing  him  in  really  detective  style. 
He  drinks.  His  wife  says  he  can't  help  it.  Some  say 
he'd  steal,  and  that  he  can't  help  that  either,  but  then 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  49 

neither  of  these  peculiarities  hi  his  character  had  ever 
been  established  in  court. 

He  had  for  some  time  kept  the  village  from  slumber 
ing  in  quiet  and  silence,  by  performing  some  minor  deed 
that  displeased  the  constable  and  created  a  general  up 
roar  in  the  streets.  For  a  long  time  his  actions  had 
been  pardoned,  but  Sile  thought  he  would  take  cog 
nizance  of  this  recent  matter,  and  carry  it  before  a 
tribunal  of  justice. 

The  trial  came  off  in  the  vestry  as  scheduled.  Hold 
ing  court  in  Blueberry  Falls  was  an  important  affair, 
and  the  edifice  was  crowded  with  people  as  never 
before. 

Squire  Blunt  was  a  short,  stout  man,  with  a  bald 
head  and  iron  spectacles  half-way  down  his  nose,  and 
presided  at  the  trial  with  all  the  pomposity  of  a  high 
bred  country  squire.  Although  he  had  held  a  commis 
sion  as  a  magistrate  for  nearly  twenty  years,  this  was 
the  first  opportunity  he  had  to  exercise  his  official 
authority  in  conducting  the  trial  of  an  offender  against 
the  law.  When  he  entered  the  vestry  he  took  his  seat 
behind  the  pulpit,  and  requested  the  constable  to  bring 
him  a  bottle  of  ink  and  three  or  four  pens. 

When  Bill  came  into  court,  with  despair  in  his  face 
and  rancor  in  his  soul,  his  hands  grimy  and  his  hair 
somewhat  ruffled,  the  magistrate  struck  the  pulpit  with 
the  back  of  his  hand,  and  said,  "  This  meetiii'  —  er  trial 
—  er  lawsuit's  come  ter  order." 

The  magistrate's  uncertainty  of  the  nature  of  the 
gathering  brought  a  little  titter  from  the  crowd. 
Finally  he  announced,  "  There  must  be  no  loud  and 


50  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

boisterous  laughing  in  this  vestry  during  the  trial. 
Gen'lemen,  take  oil  yer  hats,  this  hain't  no  grocery  store 
or  cracker  barrel  congress.  Salt  boxes,  with  sawdust, 
has  been  pervided  for  them  what  uses  terbacker.  Be 
careful  an'  not  spit  terbacker  juice  on  ther  walls  of  ther 
vestry,  'cause  it's  hard  ter  wash  off.  Stand  up,  Bill 
Moiiey,  and  harken  ter  yer  sentence." 

"  Why,  you  are  not  going  to  impose  a  sentence,  yer 
honor,  without  giving  the  man  a  trial,  are  you?"  inter 
posed  Ike. 

"Who  said  I  wuz  goin'  ter  do  that?  ain't  this  a 
trial  ?  "  demanded  the  magistrate. 

"  P'raps  'tis,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Well,  you  jest  stand  up,  Bill,  and  hear  me  read  a 
little,"  said  the  magistrate  in  a  tone  indicating  that  the 
magistrate's  nerves  were  becoming  unsteady  in  trying  to 
perform  official  duties  that  were  somewhat  new  to  him. 

When  he  finished  reading  the  complaint  and  warrant 
charging  Bill  with  selling  intoxicating  liquors  in  defi 
ance  of  the  Maine  Prohibition  Law,  he  looked  straight 
at  him  over  his  spectacles  and  said,  "Are  yer  guilty  or 
not  guilty?"  Bill  answered,  "Not  guilty,"  in  a  tone 
which  one  might  imagine  was  calculated  to  bring  tears 
to  a  pair  of  glass  eyes. 

"  Well,  how  'bout  stealin'  the  ulster,  are  yer  guilty  or 
not  guilty  ?  "  asked  the  magistrate. 

"  That's  what,  I  s'pose,  yer  here  fer,"  responded  Bill, 
"ter  find  out." 

"  Now,  your  honour,"  responded  Ike  in  a  plaintive 
tone.  I  must  maintain  that  your  honor  should  not  ask 
such  a  question  as  that.  You  have  no  right  "  — 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  51 

"I  don't  mean  ter  'sinuate,"  said  the  magistrate, 
"  that  he's  a  thief,  but  I  will  bet  five  ter  one  that,  if  I 
should  bait  a  steel  trap  with  a  silver  ten-cent  piece,  and 
place  it  within  six  inches  of  his  mouth,  that  we'd  catch 
his  soul.  I  guess  I'll  hear  ther  evidence  agin  him  'bout 
stealin'  if  I've  a  mind  to." 

"  Why,  yer  honour,"  insisted  Ike,  "  you've  no  right 
to  ask  him  anything  about  stealing  in  a  liquor  case." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  demanded  the  court  with  asperity. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  set  there  and  tell  me  that  I  don't 
have  no  right  to  ask  all  the  questions  I  want  to  in  my 
own  court-room  ?  " 

"  Your  honor,  it  doesn't  seem  that  the  question  has 
anything  to  do  with  this  particular  case.  Now  " 

"  Hold  on !  it  does.  I  want  to  make  one  job  of  it. 
If  he's  been  a-stealin'  I  want  ter  know  'bout  it.  There's 
been  too  much  devilin'  round  in  the  village  lately." 

"But  that  has  no  connection  with  this  case." 

"  I  tell  yer  it  has.  You  be  careful,  young  lawyer,  or 
I'll  fine  yer  for  contempt  of  court." 

"  I  have  expressed  no  contempt  for  the  court,"  said 
Ike ;  "  on  the  contrary  I  have  carefully  concealed  my 
feelings.  I  am  simply  asking  to  take  up  one  case  at  a 
time.  I  know  your  honor's  well  up  in  the  law,  and  I 
would  not  think  of  questioning  your  knowledge  of  con 
ducting  a  trial.  I  was  only  insisting  on  a  method  of 
procedure  such  as  I  heard  you  telling  about  the  other 
day.  You  know  the  law;  oh,  I'm  satisfied  about  that; 
but,  Mr.  Magistrate,  I  ask  as  a  favor  to  take  up  the 
liquor  case  first." 

This  compliment  softened  the  magistrate,  and  he  sank 


52  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

back  in  his  chair,  as  though  all  had  recognized  his  su 
perior  qualifications  as  judge,  and  said,  "  The  case  may  go 
on.  Ace  Bragdon,  come  forward  and  be  sworn." 

Ace  walked  forward  as  though  a  great  weight  was 
beai'ing  upon  his  mind.  The  magistrate  told  him  to 
hold  up  his  hand  and  be  sworn.  Ace  held  up  his  left 
hand;  the  magistrate,  looking  at  him,  said,  "Hold  up 
yer  other  one."  Whereupon  Ace  half  frightened  held 
up  his  right  hand,  and  then  had  both  hands  in  the  air. 

The  magistrate  said  in  a  loud,  commanding  voice,  "  I 
tell  yer  ter  hold  up  yer  right  hand,  and  tor  never  mind 
yer  left  one." 

Ace  was  then  so  bewildered  that  he  could  not  com 
prehend  any  of  the  instructions  that  were  offered  in 
chorus  by  the  magistrate,  lawyer  and  officers  ;  finally 
Ike  went  over  to  the  witness,  bent  his  left  arm  down 
ward,  and  whispered  to  him,  "  Hold  up  only  one  hand, 
the  right  one." 

Then  the  oath  \vas  administered.  The  magistrate  con 
ducted  the  examination  for  the  complainant,  and  without 
asking  the  usual  preliminary  questions  of  name,  age,  resi 
dence  and  occupation,  commenced  with  this  question,  — 

"Where  did  yer  see  ther  respondent,  July  10th?" 

"  I  don't  go  to  sea,  Mr.  Blunt." 

"The  question  is,  where  was  Bill  Morley  when  he 
sold  you  the  hard  cider  that  Sunday  night,  out  back  of 
the  meetin'-house  ?  " 

"  He  was  out  back  of  the  meetin'-house,  sir,  but  he 
didn't  sell  me  no  hard  cider." 

"  I  want  you  to  tell  me  the  truth,  the  whole  truth, 
and  nothin'  but  the  truth." 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  53 

*  Lawyer  Glidden,  what  will  I  say  ter  him?"  inno 
cently  inquired  the  witness. 

"  He  wants  you  to  swear  that  you  bought  rum  of  Bill 
Moiiey,  so  that  they  can  put  him  in  jail,"  explained  the 
lawyer. 

"  They  can't  put  Bill  in  jail  on  my  swearin',  I  tell 
yer!" 

"  I  want  you  ter  answer  my  question,"  demanded  the 
squire,  and  rapping  his  hand  on  the  table  said,  "  Didn't 
yer  buy  some  hard  cider  of  Bill  Morley  one  night,  just 
after  ther  Fourth  of  July  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  didn't ;  yer  can't  put  no  one  in  jail  on  my 
'ccount." 

"Did  you  ever  buy  any  liquor  of  Mr.  Morley?" 
politely  asked  Lawyer  Glidden. 

"  No,  sir,  I  don't  drink  no  rum,  nor  I  don't  buy  no 
rum,  an'  my  folks  all  but  me  is  church  members,  an'  I 
wouldn't  swear  to  a  lie  fer  ther  hull  town." 

That's  all;  you  may  step  aside,  Ace,"  said  the  magis 
trate. 

There  seemed  to  be  considerable  noise  in  the  court 
room,  people  buzzing  and  moving  about,  that  had  a  ten 
dency  to  annoy  the  judge.  He  looked  at  the  audience 
with  a  fierce  cast  in  his  countenance,  and  said  harshly, 
as  he  pounded  on  the  altar,  "  Order  !  order !  We  must 
have  order  in  the  court.  Yer  must  stop  this  ere  talkiii' 
among  the  brethren."  He  stopped  suddenly;  "  I  didn't 
mean  ter  say  that ;  I  was  thinkin'  'bout  bein'  in  meetin'. 
But  I  must  stop  all  this  noise,  here  at  this  case."  He 
began  to  whirl  his  hand  around  his  head,  to  brush  a  fly 
off  that  had  just  lit  on  the  bald  spot,  when  Ike  arose 


u4  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

and  politely  made  the  following  inquiry,  "  Yer  honor, 
has  the  state  any  other  witnesses  in  this  case  ?  " 

"  Cussed,  if  I  know.  There,  there,  I  didn't  mean  to 
say  that.  Bill  Morley,  you  needn't  laugh  ;  I  hain't  got 
through  with  yer  yet,  so  don't  giggle  so  much  'bout  my 
slip  of  ther  tongue.  Say,  Sile,  can't  yer  go  out,  and  find 
'nother  witness  somewhere  ?  " 

"  Dunno,  but  I'll  try  ter  do  ther  best  I  can,"  faith 
fully  responded  the  constable.  Sile  left  the  court-room 
in  quest  of  another  witness,  the  magistrate  settled  back 
in  his  chair  to  wait  for  the  constable's  return  and  fell 
asleep. 

A  board  stretched  between  two  chairs,  upon  which 
were  crowded  a  number  of  spectators,  began  to  weaken, 
and  suddenly  broke  with  a  great  crash,  abruptly  awak 
ing  the  magistrate.  At  this  point  he  rose  up  with  such 
a  look  of  rage  on  his  face  that  the  crowd  were  astonished. 

"  Snappin'  crackers !  There's  been  too  many  of 
these  snappin'  crackers  'round  since  ther  Fourth,  and  I 
want  it  stopped  right  off  now.  D'yer  hear  it?" 

"  Yaw,  yaw,  yaw,  —  —  woo  —  —  o  —  o  — ,"  laughed 
the  crowd. 

"  Mind,  I'll  have  some  one  o'  yer  up  here  in  Bill 
Morley 's  place,  if  yer  don't  stop  this  injustice  to  ther 
court." 

The  audience  quieted  down  again,  and  the  magistrate 
lay  back  in  his  chair  with  one  eye  closed  and  the  other 
intently  fixed  on  a  corner  of  the  altar  where  a  fly  \vas 
roosting.  By  and  by  the  fly  arose  in  the  air,  and  when 
an  opportunity  came  lit  on  the  bald  spot.  The  magis 
trate  had  been  waiting  and  expecting  this  action,  and 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  o5 

was  working  out  a  quiet  game  of  strategy  in  his  mind  of 
how  he  would  kill  it.  The  fly  was  crawling  about  nod 
ding  his  head,  and  was  just  to  perform  a  surgical  opera 
tion  on  the  top  of  his  head  by  drawing  blood,  when  the 
court  reached  for  the  warrant,  and  with  that  weapon 
forcibly  raised  his  hand  and  struck  the  fly.  Swat !  the 
blow  was  fatal  to  the  unsuspicious  fly,  and  when  he 
picked  up  the  poor  remains,  a  look  of  satisfaction  spread 
over  his  countenance  as  though  he  had  just  captured  the 
Philippines  and  was  looking  at  a  dead  Spaniard.  When 
he  had  gratified  himself  sufficiently  on  the  triumph  in  the 
episode  with  the  fly,  he  drew  a  wise  look  about  his 
features,  and  said,  "  Wonder  where  Sile  has  gone  ?  " 

"  He's  a-comin',"  responded  half  a  dozen  in  chorus. 

Sile  arrived  with  Joe  Sampson  as  a  witness.  He  ex 
plained  his  long  absence  by  stating  that  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  have  a  positive  proof  this  time.  Joe  Sampson 
was  sworn. 

"Mr.  Sampson,  please  tell  the  court  what  you  know  about 
Bill  Morley  sellin'  'toxicatin'  liquors, "said  the  magistrate. 

"  Well,  I  can't  say  'bout  that  'zackly ;  but  I  saw  him 
settin'  in  the  middle  of  ther  highway,  makin'  grabs  in 
ther  air,  an'  sayin'  that  he'd  be  d—  —  d  if  he  didn't 
catch  the  bed  the  next  time  it  ran  round." 

"That  has  nothing  to  do  with  this  case,"  said  Ike. 

"Well,  what's  the  difference  'twixt  a  man  drinkin' 
and  sellin'  liquor?"  interposed  Joe. 

"  There  is  a  vast  difference,  Mr.  Sampson,"  said  Ike. 

"  I  call  it  just  the  same  to  be  hung  one  way  as 
t'other ;  if  a  man  gits  drunk  it's  jest  as  bad  for  the  man 
as  if  he  sells  it." 


56  IKE   GL1DDEN    IN    MAINE 

k*  How  do  you  make  that  out,  Mr.  Sampson  ?  "  asked 
Ike. 

"  I  make  that  out  because  I  know  'tis  so,"  continued 
Sampson. 

"  Well,  how  do  you  know  it  is  so  ?  " 

"  I  know  it  by  my  good  knowledge  and  eddycashun." 

"  That  is  no  reason  why  the  law  of  one  offence  should 
apply  to  another." 

"  Don't  the  Bible  say  't  if  a  man  drinketh  and  mud 
dles  his  head,  or  something  t'  that  'fleet,  that  he'd  be 
cuss'd  fer  ever?  "  insisted  Joe. 

"  What  has  that  got  to  do  with  Bill  Morley  selling 
liquor  ?  "  asked  Ike. 

"If  a  man  's  put  in  jail  fer  sellin'  liquor  ain't  he 
cussed,  an'  ain't  it  just  the  same  to  be  cussed  one  way 
as  t'other?"  triumphantly  continued  Joe. 

"  Your  honor,  has  the  state  any  other  witness  ?  "  in 
quired  Ike. 

"  Don't  see  the  need  of  any  more  witnesses  ;  haven't 
we  had  two  witnesses  already  ?  "  answered  the  magistrate. 

"  Well,  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  need  of  an 
argument  in  this  case,  as  there  is  no  evidence  against 
my  client,  and  he  should  be  discharged." 

"  Yer  could  talk  from  now  'til  supper's  reddy,  and  it 
*ud  do  no  good,  'cause  yer  can't  change  my  notion  of 
this  case  ;  I've  had  my  mind  made  up  ever  since  Sile 
told  me  'bout  Bill  bein'  a-sellin'." 

"  The  witnesses  could  not,  and  did  not,  testify  as  to 
the  guilt  of  my  client."' 

"  The  witness  —  the  witnesses,  they  lied  !  "  said  the 
magistrate  in  an  air  of  steadfastness. 


HIS   FIRST   CASE.  57 

Ike  arose  from  his  seat  with  the  air  of  suppressed 
dignity,  and  immediately  burst  into  a  flight  of  oratory 
that  was  simply  spell-binding  in  its  effect  upon  the 
magistrate.  The  flexible  tongue,  oily  voice  and  drama 
tic  style  simply  hyynotized  the  magistrate.  When  he 
had  finished  his  plea,  and  asked  that  the  prisoner  be 
discharged,  the  magistrate  came  out  of  the  trance,  and 
with  scarcely  any  strength  in  his  voice  said,  "  He's  not 
guilty,  discharged,  by  God." 

Each  of  the  turbulent  crowd  shook  hands  with  Bill 
Morley,  and  joined  in  three  cheers  for  Lawyer  Glidden. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
WIDOW  GARLAND'S  DARTER. 

IKE'S  success  in  handling  Hansel  Hicks'  affairs  in 
creased  his  law  practice  very  rapidly.  People  came 
to  him  from  all  the  neighboring  villages  for  advice  and 
to  engage  his  services.  His  office  rapidly  became  the 
objective  point  of  almost  everybody  who  came  to  town, 
so  that  at  night  it  was  a  relief  to  find  refuge  in  his  quiet, 
cosy  suite  of  rooms  at  the  homelike  hostelry  of  Blue 
berry  Falls. 

He  had  collected  some  standard  law  text-books,  and 
though  he  was  seldom  seen  to  read  them  he  seemed  to 
absorb  his  knowledge  of  the  law  from  association  with 
them,  and  he  made  for  himself  a  position  in  the  busi 
ness  life  of  the  village  that  was  not  dependent  upon  a 
diploma  from  a  law  school. 

After  his  law  practice  became  sufficiently  established, 
he  bought  a  team,  that  he  might  enjoy  driving  about 
the  country  and  going  to  the  trout  brooks  fishing; 
this  being  the  favorite  passtime  of  everybody  in  that 
section.  He  planned  a  trip  to  Schoodic  one  morning, 
and  while  he  was  arranging  his  tackle  and  gear  a  client 
called. 

He  was  a  short,  round,  red-faced,  honest-looking  man 
and  went  at  his  business  without  delay.  "  Misther 
Glidden,"  he  said  in  a  strong  Irish  brogue,  "  Me  name  is 

68 


WIDOW   GARLAND'S    DARTER.  59 

Dennis  Bogan.  I've  been  fifty  year  in  tins  counthry, 
man  and  bye,  since  I  left  Tipperary  in  the  ould  land. 
Me  father  before  me  and  his  father's  father's  father  and 
his  father's  father  before  him  was  taught  to  love  this 
land  of  the  free.  I  was  one  of  the  fusht  in  this  town 
to  answer  Pricideiit  Lincoln's  call  for  throops,  and  I 
went  through  the  war  to  defend  the  flag  and  free  the 
naygurs  anyhow.  Bad  cess  to  the  naygurs !  Fer  forty 
year  I've  raised  the  flag  at  the  town-house  on  Fourth  of 
July,  and  me  heart  has  burned  wid  love  fer  it,  as  I  saw 
its  glorious  colors  wavin'  over  me  and  I  thought  of  the 
roar  and  the  blackness  of  the  battle  whin  the  glint  of  its 
colors  through  the  smoke  turned  our  despair  into  deter 
mination  and  made  of  us  men  who'd  folly  it  into  —  — . 
And  we  did,  and  we  came  out  of  it  victoriously.  But 
last  St.  Pathrick's  Day  whin  I  flew  the  flag  of  me 
native  land  at  me  own  house  there  kem  a  crowd  headed 
be  Blusther  Rankiii  and  harangued  be  Ansel  Hicks. 
Bad  cess  to  the  two  of  thim!  they  insulted  me  and 
towld  me  they'd  tare  me  flags  to  ribbons.  I  made  short 
work  of  thim  with  me  old  Springfield,  and  a  good 
supply  of  salt  I  had  pickling  me  pork.  I  midherstand 
that  Lickety  Billins,  the  thafe,  took  his  meals  standin' 
fer  a  fortnight  and  everybody  said  he  was  not  so  fresh 
as  usual.  —  But  phwat  I  want  to  ax  you  is  this,  — 
haven't  I  a  right  to  raise  me  father's  flag  (God  rest  his 
sowl  ! )  alongside  me  own  flag  on  St.  Pathrick's  Day 
widout  being  called  a  foreigner,  a  traitor  or  have  me 
flag  insulted  ?  " 

"  You   certainly  have   a   right,  Dennis,  to   honor   the 
emblem   of  your    race    and    its   love    and  devotion    to 


<)0  IKE    GhlDDKN    IN    MAINE. 

principle,  and  all  honest  men  will  support  yon  in  it. 
The  law  sustains  you,  and  I  give  you  my  word  th;it 
next  St.  Patrick's  Day  the  green  ilag  of  constancy  will 
float  proudly  by  the  starry  flag  of  liberty  and  toleration 
or  Ike  Glidden  '11  be  afraid  to  stand  by  what  is  right.'' 

"  Glory  be  to  God  and  billy  for  you  !  "  exclaimed 
Dennis  Bogan.  "Good-day,  Mr.  Glidden,  and  God 
bless  you  !  "  —  I'll  be  goiii'  now." 

When  Dennis  had  gone  Ike  went  over  to  Ansel 
Hicks'  store,  where  the  usual  loafers  had  gathered  to 
discuss  the  current  topics  of  the  day,  to  see  if  he  might 
find  some,  one  to  accompany  him,  and  as  he  entered  the 
store  Ace  Bragdon  was  stretched  out  on  the  only  chair, 
with  his  long,  lank  legs  occupying  half  the  floor  space 
in  the  store  and  the  smoke  from  an  old  pipe  surround 
ing  him  in  clouds.  Ame  Blibbers  was  sitting  on  the 
counter,  and  his  face  worked  with  comical  movements 
as  he  attempted  to  reduce  his  tobacco  quid  to  a  con 
venient  size.  Bluster  Rankin,  the  newsy  member  of 
the  gathering,  was  serving  up  with  delicious  exaggera 
tion  an  account  of  his  last  horse  trade.  Ansel  had  just 
swept  the  middle  of  the  store,  carefully  avoiding  the 
comei-s,  and  was  about  to  make  a  bluff  at  brushing  the 
dust  off  his  fifteen-year-old  stock  of  shelf  goods,  to  make 
it  appear  salable,  when  he  noticed  Ike. 

"  How  der  do,  Mr.  Glidden.  Be  you  a-goin'  fishin' 
ter-day  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  come  over  to  see  if  you  would  be 
kind  enough  to  introduce  me  to  some  gentleman  who 
might  also  enjoy  the  trip." 

Ansel   very  gladly  introduced    him   to   each    of   his 


WIDOW  GARLAND'S    DARTER.  61 

regulars.  Ace  said,  "  I'd  like  ter  go  with  yer,  but  I'm 
so  thund'rin'  busy  hoeing  my  garden  these  days,  I  can't 
spare  the  time."  The  man  called  Bluster  said,  "  I'se 
go  in  a  minute  with  yer,  and  take  my  horse  too,  but 
calc'late  there'll  be  a  gentleman  here  to-day  frum 
Jonesb'ry  ter  change  hosses  with  me."  Something  in 
the  appearance  of  the  man  and  sound  of  his  voice  struck 
Ike  as  familiar  and  he  wondered  where  he  had  ever  met 
him.  By  that  time  it  had  got  around  to  Ame,  and  he 
said,  "  I  ain't  scared  of  the  time,  but  re'lly  if  yer'll  wait 
till  I  go  up  on  the  aidge  of  ther  hill  and  hang  a  screen 
door  for  Jeff'son  Kelly's  wife,  I'd  go  with  yer  and  take 
yer  ter  ther  best  trout  pool  anywhere  around.  I'd  go 
right  no\v,  only  I  hate  to  disappint  Jeff's  wife,  as  I 
promised  I'd  do  it  last  week,  but  I  didn't  get  round  ter 
it." 

It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  it  did  not 
require  much  persuasion  from  Ike,  assisted  by  Ansel,  to 
induce  Ame  to  let  everything  else  go  at  loose  ends 
and  to  start  off  on  the  trip.  Before  they  had  driven 
out  half  a  mile  Ame  commenced, "  This  is  a  pretty  good 
driver  you've  got  here  for  an  old  feller ;  b'lieve  he 
drives  better'n  when  Bluster  Rankin  had  him." 

"  You  seem  to  know  this  horse,"  said  Ike. 

"Why,  bless  yer  life,  yes!  this  is  Hector;  he's 
trotted  in  races  an'  he's  got  a  record ;  but  late  years  he's 
been  swapped  clearn  round  the  circuit  of  traders,  and 
finally  Joe  Cook  got  him  and  held  on  ter  him  until  you 
got  him." 

"  Is  there  anybody  in  this  country  who  does  not  trade 
horses  ?  "  asked  Ike. 


62  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"  Dunno  as  you  would  call  'em  horse  trades,  b'cause 
some  of  the  dickerers  round  here  don't  trade  fair.  It 
may  be  all  right  to  put  a  kicking  horse  onto  a  man  ;  but 
when  it  comes  to  cheatin'  a  poor  widder  woman  and  her 
daughter  right  out  of  a  pretty  good  horse,  and  give 
them  a  kicker  that  no  one  can  drive,  I  don't  call  it  hoss- 
tradin'." 

"  Who  did  such  a  trick  as  that  ?  "  inquired  Ike. 

"  Why  Bluster  Rankin  and  Lickety  Billins  did. 
Yer  know  the  Widow  Garland,  who  lives  up  around 
here,  has  got  a  darter  what's  pretty  good-lookin',  an'  she 
got  ter  thinking  their  old  farm  horse  wasn't  quite 
stylish  enough  ter  drive  ter  town  with,  so  'tween  her 
an'  her  mother  they  thought  they  would  trade  fer  one  a 
little  more  spirited,  an'  them  aire  thieves  went  up  there 
with  a  high-headed  kicker,  what  no  woman  would  dare 
to  ride  behind,  and  beat  them  right  fair  square  out  of 
their  only  horse,  and  gave  them  one  that  can  kick  the 
stars  out  of  the  heavens." 

"  That  was  a  mighty  mean  thing  to  do ;  are  Bluster 
and  Lickety  Billings  in  company?  "  asked  Ike. 

"  Oh,  no,  they  just  pull  together  sometimes,  when 
there's  a  chance  fer  a  dicker  with  some  one  that's  not 
so  smart  as  they  be ;  but,  when  there's  nobody  else  to 
trade  with,  they  shift  horses  amongst  theirselves,"  said 
Ame. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  way  with  all  rogues ;  they  will 
usually  combine  to  beat  an  innocent  person,  and  when 
they  cannot  find  a  victory  they  keep  in  practice  by 
stealing  from  or  by  cheating  each  other,"  remarked 
Ike. 


WIDOW   GARLAND'S   DARTER.  63 

"  It  occurred  only  a  few  days  ago,  and  the  widder  and 
her  darter  both  have  ter  walk  now  if  they  go  anywhere  ; 
I'd  like  ter  call  and  get  the  whole  story  frum  the  widder 
herself.  Yer  know  I'm  well  acquainted  with  all  the 
folks  up  this  way,"  said  Ame. 

"  Very  well,  if  you  choose,  we  will  drive  in,"  answered 
Ike.  While  Ame  was  talking  Ike  had  been  trying  to 
think  where  and  when  he  had  seen  Rankin  before,  and 
it  finally  dawned  upon  him  that  he  saw  him  in  Vermont 
and  that  it  was  he  that  helped  to  cheat  him  out  of  the 
three-year-old  colt. 

"Be  you  a  married  man,  Mr.  Glidden?" 

"  Why,  of  course  not ;  what  in  the  world  made  you 
ask  me  such  a  question  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  thought  maybe  if  yer  warn't  I'd  make  you 
acquainted  with  the  widder's  darter." 

"  Certainly ;  you  must  introduce  me  to  the  young 
lady ;  I  would  be  very  much  pleased  to  know  her." 

When  the  Garland  homestead  was  reached  they  drove 
into  the  yard,  and  Ame  introduced  Ike  with  a  great 
deal  of  gusto  and  formality.  To  his  great  delight  and 
astonishment  Ike  saw  in  the  younger  woman  the  beauti 
ful  girl  who  had  been  his  first  client.  The  recognition 
was  mutual.  Both  blushed  until  even  the  dense  Ame 
observed  it. 

The  story  of  the  horse  trade  and  the  experience  with 
the  kicking  horse  were  discussed  in  detail,  and  when 
Ame  had  learned  all  the  news  of  that  quarter  possible 
to  get  by  asking  questions  they  proceeded  on  their  trip 
to  Schoodic. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  Ike  was  in  a  dream- 


64  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

like  mood,  and  took  but  little  interest  iu  the  fishing  or 
anything  else.  When  they  were  passing  the  Garlands' 
house  on  their  way  home,  he  said  to  Ame  in  a  half- 
abstracted  tone,  "  If  it  were  not  so  late  we  might  call  on 
Mrs.  Garland  ;  but  we  will  come  up  again  some  day, 
Mr.  Blibbers." 

"  There,  Mr.  Glidden,  I've  been  a-wonderin'  all  day 
what  come  over  you  ;  but  now  I  know  it's  that  gal  of 
the  widder's  you've  been  a-thinkin'  about.  I  see  you 
blush  when  your  eyes  first  sot  on  her.  Oh,  won't  Mrs. 
Blibbers  laugh  when  she  hears  it !  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I've  had  on  my  mind,"  said  Ike, 
"  and  it  is  the  thought  of  these  two  good  women  being 
cheated  out  of  their  horse,  and  being  obliged  to  walk  if 
they  have  occasion  to  go  anywhere." 

"  Yes,  I  knew  Mandy  would  'ttract  your  'ttention  ; 
she's  a  mighty  fine  gal,  and  I  don't  blame  you  for 
wantin'  to  come  up  again  some  day." 

"  You  don't  really  understand  me,  Mr.  Blibbers,  as  I 
meant  that  we  should  have  to  come  up  again  some  day 
and  exchange  horses  with  Mrs.  Garland.  I'd  give  my 
horse  to  that  woman  before  I  would  see  her  and  her 
daughter  walking  about  these  country  roads,  and  as  I 
presume  she  does  not  place  any  value  on  that  kicking 
horse,  I'm  coming  up  here  to-morrow  to  give  her  my 
horse  and  take  the  kicker  if  she  will  allow  me  to  do  so." 

"  You  don't  mean  it  ?  "  said  Ame,  manifesting  great 
surprise. 

"  That's  what  I  propose  to  do,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Sir,  if  yer  do,  you'll  be  ther  greatest  feller  in  ther 
whole  country,"  enthusiastically  said  Ame. 


WIDOW    GARLAND'S   DARTER.  65 

"  That's  all  right,  but  just  wait  a  while  and  keep 
quiet.  I'll  watch  for  an  opportunity  and  trade  horses 
with  Bluster  and  that  Billings,  and  if  I  don't  give  them 
the  hot  end  of  the  poker  for  what  they've  done  with 
those  women  folks  !  Don't  say  a  word." 

"No,  I  won't  say  nuthin' ;  'twould  be  a  good  one  on 
'em  if  yer  coo'd  only  get  it  back  on  'em,  but  yer  know 
them  fellers  is  pretty  foxy." 

The  next  day  Ame  and  Ike  went  up  to  the  Garlands', 
leading  Hector  with  a  halter  behind  another  horse  and 
carriage. 

Ike  said  to  Ame,  "  Now  I  don't  want  her  to  think 
that  this  exchange  is  to  be  any  charity  business,  and  I 
will  commence  in  a  real  trading  kind  of  a  way,  and  if 
we  exchange,  woman-like  she  will  feel  that  she  is  a 
pretty  capable  business  woman,  after  all,  in  being  able  to 
exchange  a  worthless  kicking  horse  for  a  good  horse  or 
one  that  is  suitable  for  anybody  to  drive.  You  know 
that  would  please  her  much  better  than  if  I  offer  to  give 
her  my  horse." 

"  All  right ;  I  won't  say  a  word  to  her  about  what 
you  are  up  to." 

It  might  not  have  taken  so  long  for  Ike  and  Mrs. 
Garland  to  make  an  exchange,  but  it  took  Ike  so  long 
to  gaze  at  Mandy  every  time  he  said  anything ;  how 
ever,  in  the  course  of  a  short  time  they  closed  a  trans 
action,  and  Ame  and  Ike  started  for  home,  leading  the 
kicker  on  a  halter. 

Ike  requested  Ame  not  to  let  anybody  know  about 
the  deed  of  kindness,  but  he  was  then  not  so  well  ac 
quainted  with  Ame  as  he  was  afterwards,  for  it  was 


66  IKE   GLIDDEN    IX    MAINE. 

utterly  impossible  for  Ame  to  refrain  from  telling  people 
of  the  noble  act  of  the  new  lawyer.  After  Ike  had  ex 
changed  horses  with  Mrs.  Garland  he  was  practically 
without  a  driving  horse,  because  he  would  not  even 
attempt  to  drive  the  "  kicker  ;  "  so  he  purchased  another 
horse,  and  then  was  in  keeping  with  the  custom  of  that 
section,  as  all  prosperous  people  there  keep  a  "  driver  " 
and  a  "  trader."  Then,  too,  within  a  few  days  he 
secured  another  horse  and  a  carriage  in  settlement  of 
a  lawsuit,  and  he  was  in  fact  unintentionally  getting 
into  the  horse  business.  A  barn  was  rented,  and  Zeke 
Kirk  engaged  to  take  care  of  the  horses  until  some  dis 
position  could  be  made  of  them. 

When  Ike  drove  out  to  Mrs.  Garland's  one  afternoon, 
to  see  how  they  liked  the  new  horse,  he  was  uncertain 
whether  the  bewitching  smiles  on  the  face  of  the 
widow's  daughter  were  for  him  or  because  she  was 
pleased  with  the  new  horse  ;  but  afterwards,  when  they 
became  better  acquainted,  he  could  trace  the  beginning 
of  their  friendship  away  back  to  the  time  of  those  sly 
glances  and  pleasing  smiles. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE    BLIND    COLT. 

FTHHE  next  week  Ike  sent  Zeke  Kirk  away  with  the 
I  kicking  horse,  instructing  him  to  trade  him  for 
some  worthless  nag  whose  identity  was  unknown  in 
Blueberry  Falls,  at  the  same  time  requesting  him  not 
to  sell  or  dispose  of  him  to  any  old  man,  woman  or  in 
nocent  person,  but  to  seek  to  exchange  him  with  some 
dickerer.  Zeke  set  out  leading  the  kicker  behind  a 
team,  and  took  the  direction  leading  to  Bangor.  In  a 
few  days  he  returned,  proudly  leading  a  handsome, 
high-stepping  and  loose-moving  young  horse.  Ike  in 
quired  where  and  how  he  happened  to  acquire  such  a 
nice-looking  colt  in  exchange  for  the  kicker,  and  was 
informed  that  he  received  him  from  a  real  horse  trader, 
and  that  this  beautifully  built  colt  was  totally  blind, 
but  that  he  considered  him  worth  much  more  than  the 
kicker  and,  of  course,  he  exchanged  for  him. 

"  Do  you  suppose  Bluster  Rank  in  or  Lickety  Billings 
knows  this  colt?"  smilingly  inquired  Ike. 

"  No,"  said  Zeke  ;  "  this  colt  was  raised  in  Roostick, 
and  nobody  here  ever  seen  him  afore." 

"  All  right ;  don't  let  anybody  know  he  is  blind,  and 
we  will  have  some  fun  with  Bluster  and  Lickety  Bil 
lings.  We  will  teach  them  to  put  a  kicker  on  a  '  widder 
woman,'  "  said  Ike. 

67 


68  IKK    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

"  No,  sir,"  proudly  responded  Zeke  ;  "  I  won't  say 
nothin'  to  nobody." 

It  was  not  long  before  Lickety  Billings'  meat  cart 
came  rumbling  and  rattling  up  street,  and  stopped  in 
front  of  the  hotel.  Ike,  rushing  into  the  stable,  re 
quested  Zeke  to  harness  the  blind  colt  into  his  light 
road-wagon  and  exhibit  him  for  Lickety's  benefit.  AVhen 
the  man  with  the  meat  cart  led  his  team  out  into  the 
street  again,  Ike  drove  past  him  with  the  blind  colt  like 
a  shot  from  a  gun  ;  the  colt's  head  erect,  and  Ike  hold 
ing  the  reins  tight  for  fear  of  the  colt's  getting  out  of 
the  middle  of  the  road.  He  drove  down  across  the 
bridge,  turned  around,  passed  the  man  in  the  meat  cart 
at  such  a  rate  of  speed  that  he  could  not  even  exchange 
greetings  with  him,  and  returned  to  the  stable  to  put  up 
the  team. 

"  This  colt  can  go  like  a  whirlwind,"  said  Ike,  while 
Zeke  was  removing  the  harness,  "  but  he  isn't  safe  for  a 
minute.  I  was  afraid  two  or  three  times  that  he  was 
going  off  the  road  or  might  run  into  a  team.  If  he 
wasn't  blind  he'd  be  well  worth  five  hundred  dollars, 
but  as  he  is,  I  do  not  consider  him  worth  a  cent." 

When  Lickety  completed  his  circuit,  and  had  visited 
all  his  meat  customers,  he  drove  up  to  the  f Hidden 
stable  to  loaf  a  few  minutes  and  get  the  news  of  the 
village,  and  as  he  entered  said, — 

"I low  be  ye,  Ike?  What's  that  high  flyer  I  seen 
you  drivin'  this  forenoon  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  a  trader  I've  got  here,"  replied  Ike. 

"A  trader!"  said  Lickety,  "I  guess  you  wouldn't 
trade  that  fellow  unless  you  got  a  pretty  good  horse  and 
a  big  walletful  of  tens." 


THE  BLIND  COLT.  69 

"Oh,  yes,  I'd  trade  anything;  so  my  folks  always 
claimed,"  good-naturedly  responded  Ike. 

"  I  guess  you're  only  joking,"  doubtfully  remarked 
Lickety. 

"  Oh,  no ;  I'm  ready  to  dicker  any  horse  I've  got,  at 
any  time." 

"Well,  let  me  and  you  get  up  a  trade;  b'lieve  we've 
never  swapped  yet.  How  will  you  trade  for  Denmark 
Jr.?"  inquired  Lickety. 

"  I'll  trade  either  Denmark  Jr.,  Watchmaker,  or  the 
colt  you  saw  me  driving  this  morning,  with  you  for 
your  horse  and  fifty  dollars." 

"  Let  me  see  the  colt,  Zeke,  won't  you  ?  Lead  out 
that  air  colt,  so  I  can  look  him  over,"  demanded  Lickety. 

Looking  over  the  colt,  feeling  his  limbs,  and  making 
the  usual  jockey  examination,  Billings  asked  where  the 
colt  was  raised,  and  Ike  informed  him  that  it  was  raised 
in  Aroostook  and  had  just  come  from  that  section. 

"  Looks  pretty  smooth,  and  I  b'lieve  he  is  as  smooth 
as  a  trout,"  Billings  said,  "  but  then  you're  only  guying 
me  about  trading  ;  you  wouldn't  trade  for  my  old  hoss," 
said  Billings. 

"  I'll  trade  for  anything,  but  am  not  anxious.  My 
only  trouble  is  when  I  make  an  offer  I  always  stick  to 
it,  if  it  ruins  me.  I  know  I  ought  not  to  have  offered 
the  colt  to  you  for  your  horse  and  only  fifty,  but  there 
I  will  not  take  back  water,"  shrewdly  said  Ike. 

"No,  if  it's  anything  I  hate  it's  a  squealer  or  a 
kicker,"  said  Billings,  reaching  for  his  wallet  ;  "  if  yer 
mean  business  here's  yer  money,  and  we'll  call  it  a 
trade." 


70  IKE    GLIUDEN    IN    MAINE. 

"  All  right,"  said  Ike,  reaching  to  accept  the  money. 

As  quick  as  a  flash,  and  without  any  request,  Zeke 
commenced  to  unharness  Billings'  horse  and  to  fit  the 
harness  to  the  colt.  Zeke  had  figured  as  assistant  in  so 
many  horse  trades  before  this  one,  that  he  was  keen 
enough  to  assist  Billings  in  hooking  the  colt  into  the 
meat  wagon  and  took  full  charge  of  the  operation. 

When  Billings  was  departing  for  home,  with  the 
blind  colt  harnessed  in  the  meat  wagon,  Ike  told  him  to 
be  sure  and  hold  the  reins  tight,  and  to  always  drive  on 
the  bit,  because  the  colt  was  a  high-life  fellow  ;  fearing 
that  if  Billings  did  not  drive  on  a  tight  rein,  he  might 
discover  before  he  got  well  underway  that  the  colt  was 
blind. 

Billings  started,  driving  the  colt  "  away  up  in  G," 
and  reining  him  in  a  manner  that  would  have  done 
Budd  Doble  proud,  and  Ike  and  Zeke  laughing  heartily 
at  how  easily  they  had  worked  him. 

"  There,"  victoriously  said  Ike,  "  that  pays  him  for 
beating  that  widow  woman  up  in  Pineville  out  of  her 
farm  horse." 

On  the  way  home  Billings  unavoidably  collided  with 
a  carriage  in  which  were  two  ladies  out  pleasure  driving, 
and  ran  into  a  heavily  piled  load  of  timber,  but  he  never 
even  suspected  that  the  colt  was  blind.  Thinking  that 
the  cause  of  the  accidents  was  due  to  the  colt's  high 
spirits,  and  his  not  having  been  fully  broken,  he  said  to 
himself,  «'  That's  why  I  got  him  so  easy.  The  colt's 
got  lots  of  ginger  in  him,  and  hain't  half  broken,  and 
Ike  was  afraid  of  him.  I'll  take  those  kinks  out  of  him, 
and  when  I  get  him  ironed  out  and  squared  away,  I'll 


THE  BLIND  COLT.  71 

take  him  over  to  Bar  Harbor  and  sell  him  fer  a  high 
figger  to  one  of  those  rusticators." 

Billings'  barn  was  of  small  structure  and  had  a  full- 
sized  window  near  the  door,  and  in  grooming  his  horse 
he  usually  tied  him  to  a  ring  bolt  outside ;  the  day 
after  the  trade  he  attempted  to  lead  the  colt  on  a  loose 
halter  outside  the  barn,  where  he  was  going  to  adminis 
ter  the  curry-comb  and  brush  treatment.  As  he  came 
through  the  door  lie  heard  crashing  and  smashing  of 
glass,  and  looking  back  saw  the  colt's  head  protruding 
through  the  window. 

Billings  came  out  through  the  door,  but  the  colt  evi 
dently  thought  it  would  come  out  through  the  window 
(near  the  door).  "  What  in  thunder  possessed  this 
colt  to  cut  and  scratch  himself  up  this  way  by  shoving 
his  head  through  this  window,"  mused  Billings,  as  he 
began  to  extricate  the  colt's  head  from  the  shattered 
sash  of  the  window.  When  he  got  the  colt  clear  of  the 
entanglement,  cleaned  and  groomed,  he  led  it  towards 
the  pump  for  the  purpose  of  giving  him  his  morning 
drink.  In  walking  down  the  lane,  behind  its  owner  and 
on  the  end  of  a  loose  halter,  the  poor  thing  could  not 
keep  in  the  well  trodden  path,  and  after  running  up 
against  the  stone  wall  that  formed  one  side  of  the  lane, 
finally  stumbled  and  went  headlong  upon  a  heap  of 
rocks  thrown  alongside  of  the  stone  wall.  As  he 
grasped  the  colt  by  the  head  to  assist  him  to  arise  Bil 
lings  muttered  to  himself,  "  Wonder  what  is  the  matter 
with  this  fellow,  b'lieve  he's  got  the  staggers."  At  this 
juncture  Dennis  Bogan,  who  was  driving  up,  halted  to 
inquire  of  Billings  if  he  cared  to  buy  a  beef  cow  that  he 
was  fatting. 


72  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"  Come  up  here,  Dennis,  just  the  man  I  want,"  said 
Billings.  Dennis  drove  into  the  yard,  hitched  his  horse 
to  the  corner  of  the  barn,  and  followed  down  the  lane  to 
where  Billings  was  smoothing  the  ruffled  hair  on  the 
colt's  forelegs,  the  result  of  his  entanglement  with  the 
rock  heap. 

After  explaining  to  Dennis  the  experience  he  had 
just  had  with  the  colt  he  asked  if  there  could  possibly  be 
any  reason  to  suspect  that  the  colt  might  be  sick  or  sub 
ject  to  spells  of  dizziness  or  weakness.  Dennis  requested 
him  to  lead  the  colt  along  until  he  might  see  how  he 
appeared  when  moving,  and  when  they  reached  the 
drinking  fountain  or  tub  at  the  pump,  the  colt  almost 
stumbled  over  it,  and  did  not  offer  to  drink  until  his 
nose  was  forced  into  the  tub,  when  he  began  to  drink 
freely  with  all  the  tin  ret  of  a  sound  horse. 

"  Oi'll  tell  yer  ther  thrubble  ;  oi'll  bet  yer  the  baste 
es  bloind  ;  let  me  shake  my  hat  in  his  face  and  see  if  he 
will  wink  his  eyes."  Holding  his  hat  and  shaking  it, 
first  at  one  and  then  at  the  other  eye,  to  test  the  sight, 
Dennis  made  the  fatal  announcement,  "  He's  as  bloind 
as  a  bat." 

The  revolutions  of  Billings'  mind  and  the  conversa 
tion  that  took  place  between  him  and  Dennis  wrhen  it 
was  really  settled  that  the  colt  was  blind  were  never 
recorded.  However,  Billings  decided  to  return  to  Ike 
Glidden,  demand  a  return  of  his  former  horse,  and  to 
threaten  criminal  prosecution  for  swindling  him  by 
trading  such  a  worthless  and  really  dangerous  horse  on 
to  him  without  even  intimating  that  it  was  blind.  Ike 
was  very  patient,  allowed  Billings  to  run  on,  quoting 


THE  BLIND  COLT.  73 

law  on  frauds,  accusing  him  of  mean  and  low-life 
methods  and  demanding  that  he  "swap  back";  and 
when  Ike  thought  he  had  allowed  him  to  get  really 
good  and  mad,  and  to  think  he  was  a  terror  to  law 
breakers,  he  simply  thanked  him  for  his  compliments 
and  for  applying  so  many  choice  and  pet  names  to  him. 
While  Billings  was  still  thinking  himself  the  conqueror 
of  the  episode  Ike  commenced  to  lecture  Billings  for 
assisting  Bluster  Ilankin  in  cheating  the  poor  Widow 
Garland  out  of  her  only  horse,  and  for  giving  her  a 
kicking  and  dangerous  horse,  and  told  him  that  he  was 
considering  the  matter  of  entering  complaint  against 
them  for  swindling  the  widow,  and  thus  giving  them 
the  full  benefit  of  such  law.  Furthermore  he  informed 
Billings  that  the  blind  colt  was  brought  to  town  for  the 
express  purpose  of  trading  it  on  either  him  or  Ilankin, 
just  to  even  up  the  Widow  Garland  trade. 

With  rather  a  crest-fallen  and  forlorn  look  and  a 
downward  cast  in  his  eye,  Billings  said  in  a  faltering 
voice,  "  Well,  how'd  yer  trade  with  me  and  let  me  have 
'Watchmaker'  for  the  colt?" 

"  I'll  let  you  have  Watchmaker  for  the  colt  and  fifty 
dollars,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Bless  your  life  !  I  couldn't  pay  that  much,  because 
I  haven't  got  it,  and  I'm  in  a  fix,  as  I  cannot  use  the 
colt  in  my  meat  cart  and  am  really  worse  off  than  as  if 
I  had  none  at  all,"  remarked  Billings. 

"  When  you  and  Bluster  put  that  kicking  horse  on  to 
the  Garland  family,  they  were  worse  off  than  if  they  had 
no  horse,"  said  Ike  victoriously. 

"  Well,  if  you  will  give  me  time  on  part  of  it,  I'll 


74  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

agree  to  give  the  colt  and  fifty  dollars  for  Watchmaker ; 
I  can  pay  ten  now,  and  the  balance  I  will  certainly  pay 
within  two  months." 

"  That's  all  right ;  1  will  wait  two  months  for  the 
forty  dollars,  but  1  must  have  security  on  your  team 
that  you  will  pay  me  within  that  space  of  time." 

"  That's  all  right ;  I'll  do  that ;  but,  between  you  and 
me,  don't  for  the  Lord's  sake  say  anything  to  any  of  the 
folks  around  here  about  this  trade,  because  the  boys 
would  never  let  up  on  me  about  it." 

After  they  went  to  Ike's  office  and  made  out  a  paper 
for  the  security  of  the  payment  of  the  forty  dollars  and 
changed  the  horse,  Ike  went  down  town  for  a  fresh 
supply  of  cigars,  and  as  he  proceeded  along  the  street, 
saw  a  gathering  of  four  or  five  men  standing  on  the 
platform  in  front  of  Ansel  Hicks'  store.  "Here  he 
comes,''  said  a  voice.  "How  about  it?''  said  another. 
"  They  say  you  blistered  Billings  with  a  hot  poker," 
said  another  of  the  party.  Approaching  the  men  he 
found  Dennis  Bogan  entertaining  Rankin  and  several 
others  with  a  laughable  description  of  the  Billings  epi 
sode  with  the  blind  colt ;  while  a  general  laugh  was  in 
full  progress  about  one  of  the  princes  of  horse  traders 
in  the  community  trading  for  a  blind  colt,  one  of  the 
men  jokingly  said  to  Ike,  "  I  think  you're  one  of  the 
most  dangerous  men  We've  got  in  the  horse  business." 

Bluster  seemed  to  enjoy  listening  to  his  former  side 
partner  being  roasted  more  than  any  of  the  others ; 
and  on  hearing  the  last  remark  he  said  to  Ike,  "  I'd  as 
lief  trade  horses  with  you  as  any  man  between  here  and 
Bangor,  because  I  know  you're  a  square  man." 


THE  BLIND  COLT.  75 

"  All  right,"  said  Ike  with  ready  wit,  "  I've  got  the 
mate  to  the  blind  colt,  and  I'll  trade  it  with  you  for 
your  horse  that  stands  there  in  that  wagon,"  pointing  to 
Bluster's  team  tied  to  a  post  in  front  of  the  store. 

"  It's  a  go,"  said  Bluster  in  his  rough  and  ready  man 
ner.  They  both  stepped  into  Bluster's  wagon,  and 
drove  to  Ike's  stable.  Bluster  did  not  know  that  Bil 
lings  and  Ike  had  exchanged  horses  again ;  and,  in  fact, 
it  might  have  seemed  to  almost  everybody  that  sufficient 
time  had  not  elapsed  for  the  last  chapter  in  the  colt's 
career  to  have  taken  place.  However,  he  traded  with 
Ike,  and  never  even  suspected  for  a  minute  that  it  was 
the  same  colt  that  Dennis  had  seen  at  Billings'  that 
morning.  In  less  than  twenty  minutes  from  the  time 
they  left  the  crowd  in  front  of  the  store  to  go  to  Ike's 
stable,  Bluster  came  down  the  street,  holding  tight  on  the 
reins,  and  the  colt  going  at  a  forty  clip.  When  passing 
the  crowd  he  heard  cheering  and  laughing  and  some 
one  say,  "  Hold  on,  Bluster,  till  I  see  you ;  "  and  as  he 
stopped  he  recognized  the  voice  he  had  just  heard,  and 
the  man  coming  toward  him  as  Dennis,  and  then  he 
heard  Dennis  say  in  a  still  louder  voice,  "  By  hivens, 
Bluster's  got  the  blind  colt." 

The  crowd  gathered  around  the  horse,  some  testing 
his  sight,  others  making  remarks  about  his  fine  appear 
ance,  but  most  of  them  nagging  Bluster  about  the  trade 
he  had  just  made. 

Bluster  returned  to  Ike's  stable,  followed  by  the 
crowd,  and  said,  "  There,  didn't  think  you  was  so  mean 
as  to  do  that  to  me ;  you  have  proved  yourself  to  be  a 
scoundrel ;  I  tender  you  this  blind  colt,  and  demand 
my  horse." 


76  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"  Well,  Bluster,  I'm  dreadfully  sorry  ;  I  haven't  much 
personal  knowledge  of  your  principles,  but  judging  from 
what  they  say  you  did  to  the  Widow  Garland,  I  think 
you  are  getting  paid  in  your  own  coin  for  the  job  you 
perpetrated  on  that  kind  old  lady." 

"What's  that  got  to  do  with  you  on  this  trade?" 
growled  Bluster. 

"  It's  got  this  much  to  do  with  it,  that  I  would  not 
be  a  party  to  a  transaction  to  cheat  any  person  out  of  a 
ten-cent  piece,  but  when  I  learned  about  your  cheating 
those  people  out  of  their  family  horse,  and,  worse  than 
that,  giving  them  a  horse  that  almost  kicked  the  roof 
off  their  barn,  and  exposing  them  to  the  dangers  of  such 
an  animal,  I  made  up  my  mind,  as  the  sheriff  had  made 
no  attempt  to  prosecute  you,  that  I  would  take  the  mat 
ter  into  my  own  hands,  and  in  my  simple  way  mete  out 
justice  to  you.  This  colt  was  brought  here  for  the  ex 
press  purpose  of  trading  it  on  to  either  you  or  Billings; 
and  I  am  pleased,  and  think  everybody  else  in  the  vil 
lage  is  pleased,  that  you  both  got  blistered  with  him." 

The  crowd  laughed  and  hissed.  Bluster  got  into  his 
wagon,  and  as  he  was  driving  off  looked  mighty  cheap, 
but  still  mustered  up  courage  to  say  to  Ike,  sarcastically, 
"  You  must  be  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Fifteen!" 

"  Yes,"  said  Ike,  "  and  the  next  time  you  cheat  either 
an  old  man  or  an  old  woman  you  will  get  fifteen  years." 


CHAPTER  X. 

JOE    SAMPSON   BUYS   A   HOUSE. 

ONE  morning  Ike  drove  out  to  see  Joe  Sampson,  to 
whom  he  wished  to  sell  a  horse  that  he  wished  to 
dispose  of.  After  he  had  driven  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  he  inquired  of  a  tin  peddler,  "  Where  do  the  Samp 
sons  live  ?  "  and  was  courteously  informed  that  their 
house  was  the  next  on  the  right.  While  Ike  knew  that 
Joe's  wealth  was  deposited  in  the  Bank  of  Hope,  and 
consisted  of  a  somewhat  cloudy  prospect  of  obtaining  a 
pension,  he  imagined  from  his  acquaintance  with  him 
that  he  at  least  occupied  a  fairly  good  home  even  if  he 
did  not  own  one,  but  the  "next  house  on  the  right" 
proved  a  disappointment.  It  was  an  old  and  dilapi 
dated-looking  structure,  pleasantly  set  011  a  knoll  near 
the  edge  of  the  \voods,  not  far  from  the  river.  On  the 
right  were  a  small  potato  patch  and  some  other  evidences 
of  an  indifferent  attempt  at  farming.  The  unpainted 
shingles  were  worn  and  weather-beaten,  a  number  of 
squares  of  glass  were  missing  from  the  window  sashes, 
and  all  the  repairs  that  had  been  made  were  of  the 
patchwork  order.  A  hovel  built  of  rails  and  thatched 
over  had  evidently  served  as  shelter  for  the  cow  and 
hens,  and  its  appearance  indicated  the  easy-going  tem 
perament  of  the  Sampson  family.  When  Joe  saw  Ike 
turning  into  the  yard,  he  reached  for  his  hat  and  coat 

77 


78  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

and  started  for  the  door,  with  coat  half  on,  and  strug 
gling  to  get  his  hand  from  the  entanglement  in  the  lining 
of  the  left  sleeve.  Ike  called  out,  "  Whoa,  Jerry,  whoa, 
back,  whoa  I  tell  you !  Ho\v  do  you  do,  Joe  ?  Jerry  is 
on  his  mettle  this  morning,  sure  ;  couldn't  stop  him  un 
til  he  got  right  up  on  to  your  front-door  steps." 

"How  de  do,  Mr.  Glidden?  nice  morning,  ain't  it?" 
responded  Joe.  "  Good-lookin'  hoss  you  got  there." 

Ike  then  went  through  the  usual  preliminaries  of  the 
bargain  and  sale  of  a  broken-down  old  sport  of  a  horse, 
and  Joe  assumed  the  role  of  a  man  cautious  about  get 
ting  in  debt,  suspicious  of  being  talked  about  for  buy 
ing  a  spavined  horse,  and  he  appeared  indifferent  about 
making  such  an  extravagant  purchase  until  he  obtained 
a  pension. 

A  sale  was  finally  consummated,  Joe  also  purchasing  a 
wagon  and  harness,  the  value  of  all  being  fixed  at  one 
hundred  dollars.  Joe  was  to  pay  ten  dollars  down  and 
the  balance  when  he  came  off  the  blueberry  plains ;  he 
was  to  give  Ike  a  bill  of  sale  of  the  horse,  wagon,  har 
ness,  a  cow,  and  a  flock  of  hens,  to  secure  payment  of 
the  hundred  dollars. 

When  the  trade  was  closed,  and  they  were  arranging 
to  go  to  town  and  have  the  writings  made  out,  Joe 
called  the  folks  out  to  see  the  new  purchase.  Out  they 
came,  —  Joe's  son  Benny,  Liza,  his  wife,  and  Delia 
Pinkham,  his  stepdaughter,  full  of  glee  and  curiosity  to 
see  "  their  "  horse. 

When  they  had  really  satisfied  themselves  that  they 
were  to  own  this  nice  team,  Ike  and  Joe  got  into  the 
carriage  and  started  for  the  village.  On  the  way  Ike 
asked  Joe  why  he  didn't  move  into  town. 


JOE  SAMPSON  BUYS  A  HORSE.  79 

"  Think  I  will,"  responded  Joe,  "  Liza's  ben  a-wantin' 
to  do  so  for  some  time ;  but,  you  see,  I've  ben  waitin'  to 
see  if  my  pension  would  come  afore  makin'  a  change." 

"  Is  your  stepdaughter  contented  where  you  live  ?  " 
inquired  Ike. 

"  No ;  she's  ben  dreadful  hmsome,  and  wants  us  to 
start  for  the  plains  to-morrow." 

"  Does  your  whole  family  intend  to  go  up  during  the 
picking  season  ?  " 

"  Why,  bless  }"our  life  !  Delia  and  her  mother  kin 
pick  more'n  any  four  men  on  the  Barrens." 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you,  Joe,"  said  Ike,  "  when  you  return 
from  the  plains,  you  should  rent  the  Silsby  house  on 
the  Pineville  road,  arid  if,  later  on,  you  get  a  pension, 
you  might  buy  it.  I  have  the  management  of  that  prop 
erty  and  will  rent  it  to  you  at  a  very  reasonable  price." 

"  BV  gorry,  if  I  should  go  home  and  tell  Liza  about 
such  a  notion,  she'd  begin  right  off  to  plan  which  one 
of  them  fellows  in  the  town  Delia  would  have  for  a 
beau.  I  tell  you  Liza's  got  high  notions,  and  would 
be  in  society  if  I  only  get  my  pension.  She  dreams 
about  such  things  almost  every  night,  and  when  she 
wakes  in  the  morning  and  finds  her  dream  is  only  a  de 
lusion,  she's  as  cross  as  an  old  she-bear  all  day  long,  and 
even  the  dog  knows  her  so  well  now  that  he  don't  come 
into  the  house  on  such  days.  She  darsen't  let  her  spite 
out  on  me  and  Delia,  so  she  takes  a  chair  or  a  stick  and 
gives  it  to  the  dog  every  time  he  pokes  his  head  under 
the  dinner  table." 

"  The  Silsby  place  would  make  you  a  respectable 
home.  There  is  a  good  barn  on  the  place,  and  it  would 


80  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

be  so  much  nicer  for  Delia  and  your  wife  than  the  place 
you  now  occupy.  If  I  were  you  I  would  engage  it 
to-day." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  you  see  I  will  be  in  town  every  other 
night  while  the  pickin'  season  lasts,  as  I  intend  to  haul 
our  berries  to  the  factory  myself,  aud  I  can  use  the 
Silsby  barn." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Ike,  as  they  drove  to  the  door  lead 
ing  to  his  office,  where  they  went  to  make  the  writings 
concerning  the  horse  sale. 

Joe  made  some  pretence  at  buying  the  Silsby  place, 
promising  to  pay  for  it  when  he  received  his  pension, 
and  at  once  arranged  to  move,  arid  succeeded  in  causing 
all  their  belongings  to  be  transferred  to  their  new  home 
before  the  family  left  for  the  Barrens. 

About  the  close  of  the  berry  season  a  theatre  company 
was  billed  to  appear  "  one  night  only,"  and  present  the 
celebrated  drama  entitled  "  Married,  but  not  Mated,"  at 
the  town  hall  in  Blueberry  Falls.  Everybody  looked 
forward  to  the  event  of  that  grand  play.  Upon  persist 
ent  urging  on  the  part  of  Tim  Cronin  and  Ike,  Joe 
Sampson  was  induced  to  go  and  occupy  a  front  seat 
with  them. 

Joe  had  never  before  attended  an  entertainment  of 
this  kind.  A  theatre  was  an  institution  of  which  he 
had  no  knowledge,  and  the  scenery,  glitter  of  lamps, 
and  of  the  footlights  completely  captivated  his  atten 
tion.  He  was  much  impressed  with  the  stage  fixtures, 
and  the  entire  play  seemed  to  him  to  be  one  of  absorb 
ing  interest. 

In  time  Joe  had  fixed  his  eyes  on  every  movement  of 


JOE  SAMPSON  BUYS  A  HORSE.  81 

the  actors  and  gave  his  whole  attention  to  the  play,  and 
became  so  Tuesmerized  with  its  effect  that  for  a  while  he 
imagined  everything  to  be  real. 

When  his  interest  seemed  to  be  most  earnest  a  sce^e 
was  unrolled  showing  a  dense  forest,  and  the  heroine 
appeared  in  the  woodland,  and  a  villain  in  ambush 
rushed  out,  seized  the  beautiful  young  woman,  and 
thrust  a  knife  into  her  bosom  as  she  fell  staggering  to 
the  ground.  The  dagger  was  of  the  usual  stage  device, 
that,  when  jerked  from  its  fatal  place  in  its  victim's 
bosom,  allowed  red-colored  water  to  trickle  down  the  blade 
in  imitation  of  blood.  The  scene  was  too  much  for  Joe  ; 
his  eyes  and  mind  were  so  intent  on  the  actors  that  he 
dreamed  that  he  was  witnessing  a  real  tragedy,  and 
when  he  saw  drops  of  blood  on  the  blade  of  the  as 
sassin's  dagger,  he  suddenly  arose  from  his  seat,  and 
yelled  out  in  great  excitement  while  attempting  to 
spring  upon  the  stage,  "Great  God,  kill  the  villain! 
kill  him !  " 

The  audience  for  a  minute  supposed  that  Joe  had 
become  crazy,  until  he  came  out  of  his  trance,  stepped 
back  and  sat  down  in  his  settee. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  performance  the  crowd 
laughed  and  cheered  so  much  that  the  actors,  not  being 
aware  of  Joe's  attack  of  insanity,  thought  that  the  cheer 
ing  was  in  applause  of  their  good  acting,  and  near  the 
close  of  the  last  act,  the  leading  man  protruded  his  head 
through  the  interstice  at  the  side  of  the  curtain,  to  thank 
the  audience  for  their  close  attention  and  kind  applause, 
when  he  heard  a  boy  in  the  back  of  the  hall  say,  "  Kill 
the  villain  I  kill  him  !  "  and  the  actor,  thinking  the  re- 


82  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

mark  was  intended  for  himself,  quickly  pulled  in  his 
head,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  play  the  actors 
seemed  very  uneasy. 

When  the  curtain  fell  on  the  last  act,  and  the  crowd 
began  to  depart  from  the  hall,  continuous  cries  of  "  Kill 
the  villain  !  kill  him !  "  arose  from  the  youngsters  joy 
ously  seeking  their  way  homeward,  and  whqm  the  the 
atre  people  supposed  were  a  lot  of  hoodlums  wreaking 
vengeance  on  their  leading  man  for  some  reason  un 
known  to  them.  Consequently  they  were  afraid  to  leave 
the  hall  and  go  to  the  hotel,  until  the  janitor  went  out 
and  induced  Ike  to  return  with  him  and  explain  the 
cause  of  the  wicked  and  mournful-sounding  cries  of 
"  Kill  him !  kill  the  villain  1 " 


CHAPTER  XI. 

CHEATED  OUT  OF  HIS  HOUSE. 

LICKETY  BILLINGS  went  into  his  barn  one  morn 
ing,  and  after  placing  a  feed  of  grain  and  hay  in 
the  horse's  crib,  he  noticed  that  the  horse  did  not  eat. 
He  came  into  possession  of  the  animal  in  a  trade  about 
dusk  the  evening  before,  and  there  was  reason  to  fear 
it  was  not  sound  in  body  and  limb.  Lickety  led  the 
horse  by  the  halter  out  into  the  yard,  to  obtain  a  good 
look  at  him  in  broad  daylight.  When  he  had  finished 
the  survey  of  the  stiff-jointed,  blighted  old  animal,  he 
returned  to  the  stable,  pulling  the  halter  and  horse  after 
him,  shaking  his  head  as  if  a  serious  problem  was  work 
ing  its  way  from  his  heart  to  his  head,  and  thinking  to 
himself,  "  I'll  have  to  get  out  of  this  somehow,  before 
people  will  find  out  how  badly  I'm  beaten."  With  his 
hands  in  his  trousers  pockets  and  his  eyes  looking  down 
ward  in  deep  thought,  he  walked  out  to  the  side  of  the  road. 
Looking  up,  in  the  distance  he  saw  Joe  Sampson  coming 
down  the  Pineville  road  in  a  creaking  old  grocery  wagon 
(thickly  coated  with  dust)  behind  a  shaggy  gray  mare, 
her  head  lowering  in  a  desponding  attitude,  but  with  a 
look  of  grit  and  ruggedness,  while  her  tail  was  waving 
incessantly,  like  the  new  flag  on  the  Squirmtown  school- 
house.  A  brilliant  thought  flashed  across  the  mind  of 
Lickety,  as  he  rushed  into  the  house  and  took  from  the 

83 


84  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

kitchen  table  his  wife's  pint  bottle  of  "  alkehol  and 
camp-fire"  which  she  had  for  rubbing  the  "  rumitiz " 
out  of  her  limbs.  Starting  for  the  barn  he  poured  the 
whole  pint  of  alcohol  and  camphor  down  the  throat  of 
the  "  trader."  After  the  empty  bottle  was  concealed 
behind  a  beam  and  his  hands  were  wiped  from  the  spat 
ter  of  alcohol  and  camphor,  he  went  down  to  the  road 
side  to  hail  Joe,  who  by  this  time  was  abreast  of  the 
house. 

"  Yer  out  pretty  early,  ain't  yer,  Mr.  Sampson." 

"  Yes ;  I'm  a-goin'  to  Jonesbr'y,  an'  I  want  ter  get 
back  by  noon." 

"  If  yer  had  my  horse  you'd  get  back  quick  enough," 
said  Liekety. 

"  What  have  yer  fer  a  horse,  Mr.  Billins  ?  " 

"  Drive  inter  my  yard  and  see." 

Joe  drove  into  the  yard,  and  Lickety  went  into  the 
barn  and  brought  out  his  trader.  By  this  time  the 
alcohol  was  working  through  every  vein  and  muscle  of 
the  old  horse,  causing  it  to  come  out  as  frisky  and  lively 
as  a  colt,  and  Lickety  proudly  looked  up  at  Joe  and 
said,  "  There  now,  wouldn't  you  like  to  have  him  ?  how 
would  you  trade,  for  the  sake  of  gittin'  a  good  horse 
like  this?" 

It  was  so  early  in  the  morning  that  Joe  little  dreamed 
that  Lickety  had  been  up  long  enough  to  play  such  a 
jockey  trick  on  him,  and  was  very  favorably  impressed 
with  the  style,  action  and  appearance  of  Billings'  horse. 

"  How  old  do  you  call  him  ?  " 

"  Really,  I  couldn't  answer  that,  because  the  man  that 
I  got  him  from  didn't  raise  him,"  shrewdly  answered 
Lickety. 


CHEATED  OUT  OF  HIS  HOUSE.  85 

Joe  looked  into  the  horse's  mouth  and  said,  "Suppose 
he's  in  ore 'n  twelve  ?  " 

"  Say,  yer  judgment  must  be  bad  if  yer  think  a  horse 
more'n  twelve  can  dunce  on  a  halter  like  this  feller." 

"  Well,  I  guess  he  hain't  mor'n  twelve,  anyway," 
said  Joe  ;  "  how  will  yer  trade?  " 

"111  trade  fer  ten  dollars  to  boot." 

"  T  ain't  got  but  a  dollar  with  me,  and  I'll  give  yer 
that,"  said  Joe,  who  had  but  recently  made  the  final 
payment  on  his  horse. 

"  Ho,  I'd  niver  spoil  a  hoss  trade  for  the  sake  of  a  few 
dollars,"  keenly  responded  Lickety. 

They  exchanged  horses,  Joe  paying  Lickety  the  one 
dollar  difference.  When  he  reached  Jonesboro  he  found 
that  his  new  horse  was  badly  fagged  out,  and  beginning 
to  show  signs  of  lameness,  and  upon  examination  of  his 
feet  and  legs  he  discovered  that  the  horse  was  minus  a 
shoe,  and  at  once  took  it  to  a  blacksmith  shop  to  have  a 
new  shoe  tacked  on.  When  the  horse  entered  the  shop 
the  blacksmith  said,  "  Hello,  the  old  fellow  stands  it 
pretty  well ;  I  supposed  he  was  dead  long  ago." 

"  Why,  do  you  know  this  horse  ?  "  inquired  Joe. 

"  I  think  I  ought  ter  ;  I  shod  him  the  first  year  I 
kept  this  shop,  and  that  was  more'n  twenty-four  years 
ago ;  and  I  shod  him  all  the  time  they  run  him  on  the 
mail  team,  and  that  was  in  the  seventies,"  answered  the 
blacksmith. 

"  How  old  was  he  when  you  first  shod  him  ?  " 

"  P'raps  eight  or  nine,"  said  the  blacksmith. 

"  That  can't  be ;  why,  yer  a-makin'  my  horse  to  be 
thirty-two  or  thirty-three  years  old !  " 


86  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

"  Well,  lie's  all  o'  that,  an'  I  bet  yer  a  dollar  he's 
mor'n  that,"  said  the  blacksmith. 

When  the  blacksmith  had  finished  driving  the  last 
nail  in  the  shoe  Joe  led  his  horse  out,  and  did  not  seem 
to  care  to  discuss  the  age  of  his  new  acquisition  longer. 
While  on  the  way  home  the  poor  old  beast  fagged  out, 
and  along  toward  dark  and  when  within  almost  sight  of 
the  Billings  homestead,  it  dropped  by  the  side  of  the 
road  and  never  even  raised  its  head  again.  This  seemed 
indisputably  to  be  a  case  of  old  age  and  enervation, 
coupled  with  an  electric  shock  from  the  effects  of  the 
dose  of  alcohol  and  camphor.  Joe  went  up  to  the  Bil 
lings  homestead  and  rapped  on  the  door.  Soon  Lickety 
came,  lamp  in  hand,  to  see  who  might  be  there.  Joe 
stood  there,  tired,  weary,  broken-hearted,  and  almost 
speechless,  but  he  finally  recovered  sufficiently  to  inform 
Lickety  of  his  sad  loss  and  misfortune.  Lickety  reached 
for  his  lantern  and  went  with  Joe  to  the  place  where 
the  horse  had  fallen,  and  as  quick  as  \vit  said  to  Joe, 
"  It  must  be  a  case  of  overdrivin'  or  heart  failure," 
and  Joe,  not  realizing  that  the  horse  had  been  doctored, 
said,  "  'Tain't  no  case  of  overdrivin',  but  guess  it's  a  case 
of  heart  failure." 

Lickety  got  his  horse  and  hauled  Joe's  wagon  and 
harness  up,  insisting  on  his  having  supper,  to  which 
Joe  readily  assented.  While  Joe  was  eating  supper 
Lickety  suggested  that  a  subscription  paper  be  started 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  sufficient  money  with  which 
to  buy  another  horse,  volunteering  to  head  such  a  paper 
himself  by  subscribing  one  dollar,  —  the  same  one  Joe 
had  given  him  that  morning.  After  supper  he  took  his 


CHEATED  OUT  OF  HIS  HORSE.  87 

horse  and  carriage  and  carried  Joe  home,  continually 
advising  him  to  start  out  bright  and  early  the  next 
morning  to  get  the  lawyer  to  make  out  a  heading  for  a 
paper,  and  to  push  it  around  hard  while  the  loss  of  the 
horse  was  fresh  and  new. 

Joe  was  up  early  next  morning  and  got  a  subscription 
paper  properly  drafted,  secured  the  names  of  Ike  and 
Dennis  Bogan  for  five  dollars  each,  and  then  commenced 
to  push  it  with  great  vigor.  By  the  close  of  the  second 
day  he  had  collected  nearly  one  hundred  dollars.  Ike 
advised  him  as  he  was  doing  so  well  to  go  over  to  Mon- 
sapec  with  the  subscription  paper,  and  push  it  around 
there,  and  perhaps  he  might  get  enough  to  pay  off  the 
mortgage  on  his  house.  Through  his  perseverance  Joe 
secured  sufficient  money  to  pay  the  mortgage  and  to 
buy  a  good  horse,  and  when  he  told  Ike  of  his  good 
luck  in  the  begging  venture,  Ike  for  a  joke  said  to  him, 
"  Now  Squirmtown  is  going  to  have  a  great  boom,  and 
there  is  an  opening  for  a  hotel,  and  as  you  have  sue 
ceeded  in  collecting  money  enough  to  buy  a  house  and 
horse,  I  would  suggest  that  you  keep  right  on  collecting 
and  you  may  get  enough  to  buy  a  hotel." 

Joe  did  "keep  on,"  visited  as  he  said  "  Jonesb'ry, 
Monsapec,  the  Pint,  and  Squirmtown,"  and  to  the  sur 
prise  of  everybody  raked  in  enough  to  buy  a  farm  in 
Squirmtown  from  Lawyer  Glidden.  Lickety  congratu 
lated  Joe  on  his  great  success  by  telling  him  that  "  the 
death  of  that  old  black  horse  was  the  beginning  of  your 
fortune,  an'  if  it  wasn't  for  me  you'd  niver  have  had  the 
horse." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SQUIRM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS. 

ON  a  Sunday  afternoon  Ike  with  a  matched  pair 
of  colts  harnessed  to  a  light  carriage  drove  out 
through  the  green  and  romantic  country  that  stretched 
before  him  on  all  sides,  and  proceeded  along  the  Piue- 
ville  road.  When  he  reached  the  Garland  homestead 
he  turned  into  the  driveway  leading  to  the  house  and 
stopped  at  the  front  door.  Mandy  came  to  the  door  and 
extended  him  a  pleasant  greeting. 

"  Like  to  go  to  ride,  Mandy  ?  "  said  Ike. 

"  Reely  I'd  be  pleased  to  go,"  responded  Mandy,  as 
she  darted  back  into  the  house  for  her  wraps. 

While  he  was  waiting  for  Mandy  to  arrange  her 
dress,  Mrs.  Garland  came  to  the  front  door,  and  said, 
"  How  d'yer  do,  Mr.  Glidden,  goin'  ter  Squirmtown  ter 
hear  ther  new  minister  ?  " 

"  Didn't  know  there  were  services  up  there  to-day," 
said  Ike.  "  Guess  'twould  be  a  good  plan  to  go  up." 

When  Mandy  came  out  Ike  suggested,  "  Suppose  we 
go  to  meeting  in  the  upper  district ;  your  mother  says 
there's  a  new  preacher  there  to-day  ?" 

"  Very  well,"  said  Mandy,  "  and  after  the  services  we 
can  call  on  Aunt  Hannah.  You  probably  know  of  her; 
she  is  Mrs.  Deacon  Squirm." 

They  drove  along,  and  as  they  approached  Squirm- 

88 


SQUIKM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS.  89 

town  they  saw  numerous  teams,  —  some  of  the  two- 
seated  "  Democrat  "  type,  others  of  the  Concord  pattern, 
and  many  of  the  very  old-fashioned  style,  each  filled 
principally  with  members  of  the  gentler  sex,  arrayed  in 
bright  ribbon-trimmed  shirtwaists,  and  flower-garden 
hats,  and  all  going  in  the  direction  of  the  meeting-house 
on  the  hill. 

They  arrived  at  the  church  just  as  singing  commenced, 
and  were  ushered  into  seats  in  a  conspicuous  section  of 
the  edifice,  and  with  uneasiness  waited  until  the 
minister  finished  his  sermon.  Everybody  seemed  to 
wear  an  expression  of  relief  when  the  last "  Amen"  was 
pronounced,  and  was  evidently  glad  to  be  able  to  breathe 
freely  once  more. 

As  the  congregation  began  to  leave  the  church  many 
of  the  young  ladies  glanced  over  at  Mandy  and  Ike,  and 
caught  the  eight-by-ten  smile  displayed  by  Mandy,  prob 
ably  because  she  was  in  such  popular  favor  as  to  have  a 
swell  newcomer  for  an  escort.  Mandy  returned  two- 
bows-and-a-smile  for  each  salute  given  her.  When  the 
last  of  the  assembly  had  moved  down  the  aisle  to  where 
Mandy  was  seated,  an  elderly  lady  lifted  a  heavy  dark 
veil  over  her  bonnet,  and  looking  over  her  gold-bowed 
spectacles,  said,  "  Ain't  this  a  s'prise  ;  why,  how  d'do, 
Mandy  ?  "  The  smack  which  the  old  lady  gave  her  niece 
sounded  like  the  explosion  of  a  tubular  boiler.  Mandy 
said,  "  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you,  Aunt  Hannah ;  let  me  in 
troduce  you  to  my  friend,  Mr.  Glidden." 

"  I've  hearn  my  husband,  Deacon  Squirm,  speak  of 
you,  Mr.  Glidden,  and  I'm  reale  glad  to  see  you.  Come 
right  over  to  the  house  and  spend  a  while,"  said  the 
pleased  aunt. 


90  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

They  accompanied  the  old  lady  to  the  house,  and  later 
the  deacon  arrived  and  seemed  very  gracious  and  pleased 
to  find  such  distinguished  visitors.  He  kissed  Mandy 
and  extended  a  very  cordial  greeting  to  Ike. 

Mrs.  Squirm  bubbling  over  with  delight,  on  account 
of  this  unexpected  call  from  her  favorite  niece  with  such 
a  popular  man  for  a  beau,  said,  "  Suppose  you've  hearn 
tell  of  my  blueberry  wine ;  folks  tell  me  my  reputation 
for  making  this  delicious  drink  has  spread  clearn  away 
down  to  Monsapec,  and  I've  brought  you  a  glass  of  it." 
She  at  the  same  time  informed  him  that  it  was  not  in 
toxicating,  and  that  she  would  not  offend  him  by  offer 
ing  it  if  she  had  the  least  idea  that  it  would  fuddle  his 
head.  Ike  drank  freely  —  before  he  left  he  had  taken 
the  third  tumblerful  —  and  assured  the  old  lady  it  was 
the  best  beverage  he  ever  tasted,  and  advised  the  deacon 
to  have  her  bottle  some  of  it  and  put  it  on  the  market. 
"  Lor's  sake,"  said  the  deacon's  wife,  "  they'd  think 
'cause  it's  wine  it's  intoxicatin',  but  that's  only  the 
name  of  it ;  I  am  afraid  they'd  have  me  up  for  sellin' 
spirits  afore  Squire  Blunt,  and  I'd  hava  to  get  you  to 
get  me  clear.  No  ;  I  guess  we'd  better  not  try  it." 

Ike  suggested  that  they  label  it  blueberry  bitters,  and 
put  it  up  under  the  name  "  Squirm's  Blueberry  Bitters," 
and  as  it  must  have  great  medicinal  properties  it  would 
be  sought  by  invalids  and  people  in  need  of  a  natural 
tonic,  and  of  course  would  be  in  great  demand  and  be  a 
legitimate  and  an  honorable  business.  Ike's  advice  then, 
and  at  other  times  when  he  called  there  with  Mandy 
during  the  next  few  weeks,  induced  them  to  procure 
some  bottles  with  labels  which  read  as  follows : 


SQUIRM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS.  91 

SQUIRM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS 

(NON-ALCOHOLIC) 
Is  highly  recommended  for  indigestion  and  all  liver 

and  stomach  troubles. 
DOSE:  A  wineglassful  three  times  a  day. 

PUT  UP  BY  JONATHAN  SQUIKM,  SQUIRMTOWN,  MAINE. 

They  filled  four  dozen  pint-bottles  with  this  cele 
brated  decoction,  affixed  the  neat  and  legalized  labels 
on  them ;  and  the  deacon  started  for  Tunkfield  with  the 
entire  stock,  intending  to  make  a  house-to-house  canvass 
for  sales  among  those  in  need  of  something  for  "  that 
tired  feeling,"  or  for  a  generous  appetizer.  When  he 
had  driven  about  four  miles  from  home  he  met  a  bunch 
of  railroad  laborers  on  their  way  to  their  tent  to  get 
dinner,  and  he  said  to  one  of  them,  "  Want  any  bit 
ters?" 

"  Bitters  !  "  responded  the  astonished  laborer,  "  why 
that  is  what  we  have  been  looking  for,  for  more  than  a 
week  ;  how  much  is  it  ?  " 

"  Fifty  cents  a  bottle,"  answered  the  deacon. 

"  I'll  have  one,"  said  about  a  dozen  voices  in  chorus, 
as  each  of  them  seemed  to  be  determined  on  securing 
some  of  it. 

"  We  haven't  any  money,"  thoughtfully  suggested 
one  of  the  jubilant  gang,  "  and  you'll  have  to  come 
down  to  the  camp,  so  we'll  get  the  boss  to  settle  with 
you." 

"  That's  so,"  said  another,  "  turn  around  the  drive 
down  with  us." 

The  principal  spokesman  of  the  group  of  workmen 
asked  the  privilege  of  tasting  it  before  they  bought  any, 


92  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

to  which  request  the  deacon  very  willingly  consented ; 
the  deacon  uncorked  the  bottle,  handed  it  to  the  spokes 
man,  who  held  the  bottle  to  his  mouth,  drank  freely  of 
its  contents,  and  when  he  took  the  bottle  down  and 
caught  his  breath,  said,  "  Tastes  good  ,  I  should  say  it's 
O.  K.5' 

Then  one  of  the  men  who  was  from  the  South,  and 
not  familiar  with  the  ways  of  this  section,  in  an  inquir 
ing  tone  and  evidently  somewhat  alarmed  that  it  might 
not  be  the  real  article,  said,  "  What  does  this  '  non-alco 
holic  '  on  the  label  mean  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  nothin',  so  long  as  it's  non-combustible," 
answered  a  fellow  who  originally  came  from  Nova  Scotia, 
but  who  had  drank  sufficient  "  split,"  "Jamaica  ginger," 
and  the  standard  brands  of  "bitters,"  since  he  came  to 
Maine,  to  have  learned  to  pay  little  or  no  attention  to 
the  phraseology  of  the  label  on  any  bottle  that  was  said 
to  contain  stimulants. 

When  they  reached  the  tent  the  deacon  very  quickly 
disposed  of  his  four  dozen  bottles,  and  at  the  request  of 
the  workmen  received  from  the  boss  a  written  order  on 
the  contractor,  whose  office  and  headquarters  were  located 
at  Blueberry  Falls,  for  twenty-four  dollars. 

The  order  was  accepted  and  cashed  by  the  contractor, 
and  the  event  of  having  the  extraordinary  sum  of  twen 
ty-four  dollars  in  his  pocket,  all  at  the  same  time,  marie 
the  deacon  feel  rich  enough  to  build  a  railroad  himself, 
for  he  had  not  been  accustomed  to  handling  money  in  such 
large  amounts  since  the  old  lumbering  days.  He  lost 
no  time  in  his  haste  to  inform  Ike  of  the  phenomenal 
success  in  the  disposal  of  his  stock  of  bitters ;  and  when 


SQUIRM'S  BLUEBERRY  BITTERS.  93 

he  told  how  much  money  he  had  made  "  all  in  a  day," 
Ike  said,  "  Didn't  I  tell  you  that  a  lot  of  such  medicine 
could  be  sold  ?  "  Half  laughing  and  half  in  fun,  but 
with  sincere  earnestness,  Ike  continued,  "  I  tell  you  that 
there  is  a  chance  to  get  rich  in  that  business  if  it's  only 
pushed.  Why,  that  recipe  of  Mrs.  Squirm's  is  worth  a 
fortune.  Go  home  and  put  up  another  supply  and  keep 
a-goin'."  The  deacon  went  home,  and  when  he  and  his 
wife  got  through  congratulating  themselves  on  the  suc 
cess  of  their  venture,  they  prepared  another  supply, 
which  was  also  sold  to  the  railway  laborers.  With  all 
the  efforts  of  his  wife,  assisted  by  some  of  the  neighbors, 
it  was  utterly  impossible  to  put  up  the  bitters  as  rapidly 
as  the  deacon  could  find  sale  for  them.  A  person  not 
familiar  with  the  customs  and  practices  usually  in  vogue 
in  a  prohibitory  State  might  naturally  suppose  that  there 
must  have  been  a  scourge  or  epidemic  existing  there  to 
cause  the  people  to  consume  so  much  bitters.  However, 
some  may  have  already  surmised  that  the  bitter  trade 
was  a  traffic  that  prospered  by  reason  of  the  strict  en 
forcement  of  the  liquor  laws. 

The  wisdom  of  the  deacon  and  his  wife  was  good  in 
everything  but  in  business  matters.  The  old  lady  was 
so  elated  over  their  unexpected  good  fortune  in  the  bitter 
trade  that  she  boasted  to  one  of  her  lady  friends  about 
such  a  simple  thing  paying  such  a  liberal  profit. 

"  Bless  yer  life,  it's  s'prisin'  how  easy  'tis  made.  I 
found  the  recipe  in  Mrs.  Highbred's  twenty-five  cent 
Cook  Book,  and  when  I  fust  made  it,  used  to  put  in  a 
few  extras.  But  found  it  cost  more  to  put  in  the  extras, 
and  it  didn't  sell  any  quicker,  so  the  deacon  and  me 


94  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

decided  to  just  put  it  up  accordin'  to  the  plain  recipe, 
and  it  sells  just  as  well  and  pays  a  tremendous  profit. 
B 'tween  you  and  me,  if  nothin'  happens,  the  deacon  will 
soon  be  richer  than  Squire  Blunt."  This  little  boast 
to  her  friend  (little  thinking  that  anybody  around  there 
would  ever  have  a  copy  of  the  famous  Cook  Book)  was 
sufficient ;  within  a  week  every  book  store  in  the  county 
was  over-run  with  customers  from  Squirmtown,  each 
inquiring  for  cook  books.  In  some  cases  the  patrons 
were  so  eager  that  they  could  not  remember  the  name 
of  the  celebrated  author,  and  selected  such  cook  books 
as  they  found  on  sale.  The  result  was  that  every  family 
in  the  village  became  the  proud  owner  of  one  or  more 
copies  of  some  renowned  work  on  culinary  dishes  and 
fruit  flavors,  but  none  of  which  contained  the  blueberry- 
wine  formula.  About  the  time  a  vigorous  search  was 
being  made  for  a  copy  of  Mrs.  Highbred's  twenty-five 
cent  Cook  Book,  Mrs.  Giles  found  one  which  her  grand 
mother  used  to  have  ;  the  Gileses  being  related  to  about 
every  other  family  in  the  village  this  precious  copy, 
found  in  the  attic,  was  triumphantly  exhibited  about  from 
family  to  family,  and  as  it  passed  along  each  housewife 
made  note  of  the  blueberry-wine  formula.  At  once  the 
deacon  began  to  have  competition  in  the  bitter  business, 
The  old  saw  that  "  competition  is  the  life  of  trade  "  was 
verified  ;  for  it  seemed  the  more  that  went  into  the  bus 
iness  the  sharper  the  rivalry,  and  the  more  that  was 
being  offered  for  sale  the  more  popular  the  bitters  be 
came  and  the  greater  was  the  demand  for  them. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   BED    OF   ISTETTLES. 

TIM  CRONIN  was  an  only  son,  and  lived  with  his 
aged  father  and  mother  on  a  small  farm  in  the  out- 
jkirts  of  Monsapec.  Tim's  father  and  Dennis  Bogan 
were  born  in  the  same  parish  in  Ireland,  and  of  coarse 
their  families  were  on  terms  of  close  intimacy  since 
their  immigration  to  this  country.  In  their  younger 
days  they  were  accustomed  to  make  frequent  visits  to 
each  other's  homes  and  enjoy  a  day  or  two  in  narrating 
reminiscences  of  the  old  country.  When  Tim  grew  to 
man's  estate  he  became  tired  of  the  monotony  of  their 
quiet  home,  and  for  diversion  he  sometimes  spent  a  few 
days  with  the  old  friends  of  his  parents,  and  usually 
called  Dennis  "  uncle." 

For  a  few  years  Tim  labored  during  the  winter  at 
lumbering,  and  in  the  berry  season  drove  a  team  for 
Dennis  Bogan,  hauling  berries  from  the  plains  to  the 
factories.  Being  a  light-hearted,  happy-go-lucky  sort  of 
a  lad  he  became  very  popular  with  the  people  at  the 
Falls,  and  particularly  with  the  young  ladies  whom  he 
met  at  the  village  dances,  because  he  was  an  excellent 
dancer  and  was  considered  the  best  waltzer  in  that  sec 
tion  of  the  country. 

Mrs.  Bogan  was  very  proud  of  Tim's  popularity  and 
would  often  say,  "  Ah,  faith,  an'  Tim's  a  foine  b'y,  God 

96 


96  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

bless  him !  "  whenever  any  of  her  callers  spoke  of  him  ; 
when  they  would  tell  her  of  his  having  so  many  girls 
and  being  such  a  favorite,  she  would  say,  "  Shure,  an' 
ain't  he  foiue-lookin',  an'  it's  no  wonder  they're  all  afther 
him." 

Tim's  popularity,  as  in  the  case  of  a  great  many  other 
good  young  men,  was  an  injury  to  him  and  soon  led  to 
dissipation,  which  course  continued  until  he  began  to 
exhibit  real  signs  of  intoxication  and  to  occasionally  be 
heavily  under  its  influence  even  in  the  home  of  his 
parents. 

Dennis,  having  always  lived  a  temperate  life,  was 
very  much  opposed  to  the  use  of  liquor,  and  objected  to 
Tim's  coming  there  any  more  while  under  its  influence, 
but  Mrs.  Bogan  said  he  was  a  decent  boy,  and  if  he  did 
sometimes  take  too  much,  lie  would  always  have  a  wel 
come  at  her  house.  So  Dennis  had  to  yield  to  her  ;  and 
the  extreme  kindness  of  Mrs.  Bogan  having  only  a  ten 
dency  to  increase  Tim's  recklessness,  he  continued  to 
go  there  in  a  stupid  condition  more  frequently  than 
formerly. 

One  day  Ame  Blimmers  was  at  Bogan 's  making  some 
repairs  on  their  comfortable  little  house,  and  in  his 
usual  gossipy  style  he  commenced  an  acquaintance  with 
Mrs.  Bogan  by  telling  her  the  news  that  was  going  the 
rounds  of  the  village.  He  told  her  that  "  Tim  Cronin 
was  drunker'n  four  barrels  of  rum  t'other  night,  and 
staggered  up  against  Ansel  Hicks.  Ansel  is  so  put  out 
about  it  that  he  was  a-goin'  to  have  him  taken  up,  only 
some  o'  ther  boys  talked  him  out  o'  ther  notion  o'  it." 

"  The  spalpeen  !  "  says  Dennis,  "  he'll  never  stay  an- 


A  BED  OF  NETTLES.  97 

other  night  in  my  house.  He's  a  disgrace  to  the  whole 
race  of  Cronins  from  Tipperary." 

"  An'  shure  an'  don't  yer  be  a-believin'  the  half  of 
what  yer  hear  about  the  poor  boy.  Shure  an'  he  niver 
did  harm  to  no  one.  He  will  come  here  an'  he  will 
have  a  cordial  welcome,  as  me'n  his  mother's  been 
frinds  this  forty  year,"  said  Mrs.  Bogan. 

When  Ame  found  that  the  fresh  bit  of  news  just  of 
fered  was  not  received  with  good  relish  by  Mrs.  Bogan, 
he  decided  to  smooth  it  over  somewhat  and  said,  "  I 
don't  know  as  it's  'zactly  true,  'cause  I  didn't  see  it  my 
self.  Some  one  said  Ansel  Hicks  told  it,  but  then  yer 
can't  tell  but  what  some  one  made  it  up  fer  the  fun  of  it." 

"  Anse  Hicks  !  "  said  Mrs.  Bogan,  apparently  much 
chagrined  at  the  report  in  circulation  about  Tim,  "  who'd 
be  afthur  believin'  Ansel  Hicks  ?  shure  an'  he's  nothin' 
but  a  church  member." 

Ame,  in  an  apologetic  way  for  having  attempted  to 
slander  her  friend,  said,  "  Well,  I  know  Tim,  and  he's 
an  almighty  good  fellow,  an'  I  don't  believe  half  o' 
what's  said  about  his  drinkin.'  Yer  know  that  they 
say  they  sell  a  little  sometimes  at  Sampson's  tavern,  an' 
'cause  he's  there  a  good  deal,  perhaps  that's  where  they 
got  the  notion  about  his  drinkin.'  Guess  he  don't 
drink  half  so  much  as  those  what  talks  'bout  him." 

"  Indeed,  an'  that's  so,"  said  Dennis,  and  his  wife 
was  apparently  somewhat  consoled  by  Ame's  last  re 
mark,  and  felt  that  perhaps  they  were  the  only  people 
who  had  seen  Tim  in  a  really  stupid  condition. 

Ame's  effort  to  soothe  the  feelings  of  the  old  couple 
was  so  successful  he  was  encouraged  to  proceed.  "  They 


98  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

say  down  town  that  Tim's  a-goin'  ter  marry  Delia 
Pinkham,  but  then  they  probably  think  'cause  he's  up 
'round  Squirmtown  so  much  and  stops  at  her  folks' 
tavern  that  he's  after  Delia.  I  think  myself  that 
Squire  Blunt's  darter's  about  as  much  in  love  with  him 
as  she  kin  be,  and  if  he  marries  any  he'll  probably 
take  her,  'cause  yer  know  the  squire's  got  Gov'ment 
bonds." 

"  Tim  Cronin  marry  Squire  Blunt's  darter !  shure 
an'  if  he's  a-goin'  ter  do  that,  I  want  ter  know  it,"  said 
Mrs.  Bogan. 

Ame,  thinking  from  what  she  said  that  it  was  an  ex 
clamation  of  joy  at  the  news  of  Tim's  brilliant  prospects 
of  marrying  a  charming  young  lady  with  a  rich  father, 
said  in  response  to  her  question,  "  Yes,  Mrs.  Bogan,  they 
tell  me  it  is  a  fact  that  Tim  is  a-goin'  ter  marry  the 
Squire's  darter." 

"  Tha  tinker !  "  said  Dennis. 

"  Tha  Yankee  !  an'  he's  goin'  ter  disgrace  the  whole  of 
us  by  gettin'  married  to  one  of  those  Yankee  girls. 
He'll  niver  come  to  my  house  again,  and  that's  what 
Delia  Pinkham's  been  a-comin'  here  fer,  ter  git  Tim,  and 
thin,  worst  of  all,  him  a-goin'  ter  marry  the  Squire's 
darter.  Shure  an'  the  squire's  a  souper,  and  how  the 
divil  can  Tim  ever  larn  her  ther  prayers;  Tim  Cronin 
will  niver  stay  another  night  in  my  house.  Faith,  an' 
I'll  see  the  praist,  and  put  a  stop  to  it,"  said  Mrs. 
Bogan. 

"  Faith,  an'  he's  not  the  one,"  said  Dennis. 

"An'  who  will  it  be?"  asked  his  wife. 

"An'  don't  the  squire  marry  people?  ain't  he  the  one 
that  do  be  afthur  marry  in'  thim  ?  " 


A  BED  OF  NETTLES.  99 

"  Bad  luck  to  you,  Tim  Cronin,  and  it's  disgrace  you'll 
bring  on  us  all  by  turning  with  the  Yankees?"  cried 
Mrs.  Began. 

"  Yes,"  said  Dennis,  "  won't  he  look  nice  in  their 
mee tin's,  helpin'  thim  ter  sing  ther  songs." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  squire's  daughter  was  not 
allowed  to  be  seen  in  Tim's  company,  and  the  story  of 
her  engagement  to  him  was  a  pure  fabrication  on  the 
part  of  Ame,  just  to  add  comfort  to  Mrs.  Bogan's  over 
estimated  opinion  of  the  son  of  her  friend.  And  when 
Ame  found  his  fancied  success  in  cheering  Dennis  and 
his  wife  proved  such  an  inflaming  blunder,  he  decided 
to  finish  his  job  in  silence,  and  as  soon  as  possible  make 
his  escape  from  the  house  without  having  them  turn  any 
of  their  wrath  on  him.  His  tittle-tattle  and  small  story 
telling  had  evidently  gotten  him  into  a  bed  of  nettles 
this  time,  and  it  looked  as  though  he  might  be  stung  by 
a  hornet  before  he  left  the  house.  In  a  short  time  he 
called,  "  There,  Dennis,  that's  fixed,  and  guess  I'm  done," 
and  began  picking  up  his  tools  preparatory  to  leaving 
the  house.  Dennis  asked  for  the  amount  of  his  bill,  in 
order  to  pay  it  immediately ;  but  Ame  put  the  box  of 
tools  on  his  shoulder  and  sneaked  out,  saying,  "  Never 
mind  now,  Dennis;  you  kin  pay  me  some  day  when  you 
see  me  down  town." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE    BLUEBERRY    PLAINS. 

AND  now  came  the  season  when  the  people  of  the 
district  had  gone  on  their  annual  berry-picking 
expedition.  Ike  became  curious  to  see  the  plains,  and 
learn  about  the  life  and  work  of  the  pickers.  The  in 
formation  received  from  those  familiar  with  the  work 
created  in  him  a  desire  to  know  the  real  character  of 
this  great  industry.  Going  to  his  stable  he  said  to  the 
hostler,  "  Zeke,  ever  been  up  on  the  plains  or  barrens  as 
some  of  the  people  call  them?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I've  been  all  over  that  section  of  the  coun 
try,"  answered  Zeke. 

"  Well,  after  dinner  harness  Maggie  Murphy  and 
Rattler,  and  we'll  take  a  drive  up  there." 

The  day  was  one  of  the  hottest  of  the  season,  and 
after  driving  a  few  miles  the  horses  began  to  warm  up 
considerably,  so  they  slacked  speed  and  drove  more 
leisurely.  It  was  a  long  drive  and  nearly  sunset  when 
they  reached  the  plains. 

The  Barrens  constitute  the  most  remarkable  feature 
of  the  Pine  Tree  State.  They  are  located  on  an  ele 
vated  ridge  or  plateau,  comprise  a  territory  of  more 
than  two  hundred  square  miles,  and  on  the  dead  level 
sweep  away  and  away  to  the  horizon.  This  peculiar 
tract  of  land  is  nearly  destitute  of  trees,  but  it  is  entirely 

100 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  101 

covered  with  wild  blueberry  bushes.  Blueberries  grow 
in  abundance,  and  the  yield  of  this  vast  vineyard  is  one 
of  the  most  prolific  in  America.  The  berries  are  picked 
and  sold,  and  for  a  number  of  years  have  been  the 
source  of  profitable  employment  to  the  laboring  class 
during  the  summer  season. 

The  pickers  as  a  rule  are  a  merry,  sun-burned  crowd, 
industriously  filling  their  baskets  with  berries  and  sing 
ing  scraps  of  song  and  old-time  melodies. 

During  the  berry  season  two  thousand  people,  includ 
ing  men,  women  and  children,  are  usually  scattered  ever 
this  vast  area,  and  they  include  not  only  the  very  poor 
people  of  the  neighboring  towns,  but  also  comfortably 
well  off  and  respectable  families,  who  seek  health  and 
recreation  in  this  class  of  work,  which  beside  affording 
them  an  annual  outing,  yields  a  very  satisfactory  in 
come.  It  is  an  eminently  picturesque  manner  of  earn 
ing  a  livelihood.  An  average  picker  may  earn  two 
dollars  a  day,  but  good  pickers  can  nearly  double  that 
amount.  The  families  bring  with  them  little  baggage  ; 
a  few  crude  utensils  for  cooking,  and  odds  and  ends  of 
bedding  comprise  the  camp  furnishings.  They  usually 
select  a  site  for  their  tents  where  they  have  convenient 
access  to  wood  and  water. 

The  work  of  measuring  and  boxing  the  berries  during 
the  evening  lias  a  tendency  to  break  the  monotony  of 
the  day's  work,  — picking. 

As  the  shades  of  evening  settle  down  a  few  dry  pieces 
of  rough  wood  are  thrown  upon  the  fire,  and  the  children 
bivouac  in  the  glitter  of  the  flames,  while  the  other  class 
sit  around  the  fire  and  entertain  each  other  with  ghost 


102  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

stories,  anecdotes  of  horse  trades,  fortune-telling,  and  in 
planning  for  the  county  fair. 

To  Ike  the  landscape  assumed  a  charming  and  ro 
mantic  aspect.  He  was  now,  as  it  seemed,  in  the  center 
of  a  boundless  sea  of  billowy  purple,  the  horizon  only 
broken  here  and  there  by  the  gaunt  and  blackened  skel 
eton  of  a  gigantic  spruce  tree,  a  former  monarch  of  the 
forest,  or  the  straggling  bunches  of  hardy  evergreen 
trees,  which  the  fire  had  failed  to  exterminate  in  its  wild 
rush  through  the  forest  that  once  stood  so  dense  and 
majestic. 

Here  and  there,  at  intervals  throughout  the  broad 
expanse,  the  scene  was  dotted  by  the  white  tents  and 
the  covered  wagons  of  the  berry  pickers.  As  Ike  gazed 
upon  it  in  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun,  the  scene  ap 
pealed  to  him  as  one  of  overpowering  majesty  and 
grandeur.  As  they  drove  along  by  a  group  of  berry 
pickers  in  front  of  a  camp,  Ike  stopped  his  horses  and 
inquired  in  which  direction  the  tent  of  Eben  Moody  was 
situated.  While  talking  with  one  of  the  group  Ike 
overheard  a  man  in  the  camp  say,  "  There's  that  Glid- 
den.  What's  that  scoundrel  doing  up  here  ?  S'pose 
he's  up  here  to  cheat  somebody  if  he  gets  the  chance." 
Then  another  voice  was  heard  to  say,  "  S'pose  we  get 
even  with  him ;  never'd  have  a  better  chance." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  people  ?  "  said  Ike, 
"haven't  I  always  treated  you  on  the  square  ?  "  There 
was  some  unintelligible  muttering  in  response  to  Ike's 
question,  which  seemed  to  raise  his  ire,  and  he  said  as 
he  drove  off,  "  I'd  do  right  if  I  should  thrash  the  whole 
gang  of  you." 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  103 

"  I'm  'fraid  you've  got  yourself  into  trouble,"  said 
Zeke.  "  That  was  Bluster  Rankin  and  Lickety  Billins 
makin'  that  talk;  they  won't  dare  to  'tack  you  openly, 
but  they'll  lay  fer  ye  and  try  ter  do  ye  some  harm." 

"  Yes,  I  knew  who  they  were.  I  recognized  their 
voices.  They  would  not  dare  face  me  and  make  that 
talk.  I'll  teach  them  or  anybody  else  to  make  such  in 
sinuations  against  my  honor." 

Ike  was  pleased  when  he  arrived  at  the  Moody  tent. 
Eben  came  out  and  gave  him  a  cordial  greeting,  and 
extended  an  invitation  to  Ike  to  tent  with  him  and  his 
party,  which  invitation  was  gladly  accepted.  Ike  be 
came  interested  in  the  scene,  and  at  once  made  himself 
one  of  the  party.  The  tent  was  near  the  bank  of  a 
clear  stream,  where  a  member  of  the  party  had  been 
fishing  that  day  and  succeeded  in  catching  a  nice  string 
of  speckled  beauties.  While  Eben  was  dressing  the 
trout,  Ike  assisted  others  to  build  the  fire,  peel  potatoes, 
and  to  get  the  pots  and  kettles  boiling.  When  the 
trout  were  broiled,  eggs  cooked,  the  tea  brewed,  and 
everything  arranged,  they  sat  down  to  a  bountiful  sup 
per  and  ate  heartily. 

Supper  over,  and  the  horses  properly  groomed  and 
cared  for,  they  grouped  about  the  firelight  of  the  blaz 
ing  logs,  to  watch  the  flickering  flames  and  to  revel  in 
the  moonlight.  As  soon  as  the  shades  of  night  began  to 
gather  parties  from  other  tents  assembled  with  them  to 
unite  in  entertaining  the  distinguished  visitor,  and  Ike's 
delight  may  be  imagined  when  he  saw  Mancly  among 
the  number. 

Eben  felt  that  he  was  the  host  and  was  responsible 


104  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

for  the  proper  amusement  of  his  guest,  but  was  uncertain 
as  to  the  etiquette  of  a  host  under  these  circumstances. 
However,  if  it  was  really  his  duty  to  take  the  lead  and 
be  toast  master,  he  decided  to  perform  the  functions  of 
that  station  by  relating  an  experience  of  a  man  named 
Tillson,  who  had  made  a  visit  to  the  blueberry  district 
for  scientific  research.  He  knew  that  Lige  Hopkins,  who 
had  more  of  the  natural  gifts  as  an  entertainer  than  any 
other  member  of  the  party,  would  be  apt  to  follow  with 
some  of  his  characteristic  yarns. 

Eben,  lighting  his  pipe,  puffed  to  get  it  going  well, 
then  blowing  the  smoke  to  one  side  wiped  his  mouth  and 
began. 

"  Mr.  Glidden,  I  suppose  you  have  met  Henry  Billins  ; 
he's  the  same  feller  we  call  "  Lickety  "  ? 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Ike,  "  I  am  well  acquainted  with  that 
gentleman." 

"  There  was  a  man  named  Tillson  sent  down  here  by 
the  aggrekultral  deepartmint  in  Washington,"  continued 
Eben,  "  to  make  a  study  of  the  blueberry  plant;  he  was 
a  grate  book-lairn't  chap,  wrote  po'try,  had  traveled  all 
over  Oklehomy,  Mizzoory,  Eurrop  and  Nebrasky,  could 
talk  pol'tics  or  anything.  He  wanted  to  hire  a  man 
with  a  team  ter  carry  him  round,  so  he'd  get  an  idee  o' 
the  berry  bizziness  an'  write  it  up.  There  didn't  hap'n 
ter  be  any  o'  the  boys  home  from  river  drivin',  so  I  in- 
terduced  lien,  an'  he  named  him  "  Lickety  " ;  'cause 
when  he's  a-walkin'  he  goes  lickety  split,  and  when  he's 
a-ridin'  he's  allus  lickin'  his  hoss,  an'  it's  cu'rus  ho\v  the 
name  stuck  ter  him." 

"  Yes,"  responded  Ike,  "  I  think  the  name  just  fitted 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  105 

him ;  I  should  call  it  a  very  appropriate  name  for 
him." 

"  He  must  er  been  a  grate  learnt  man,  'cause  while 
he  was  here  he  found  out  all  about  the  blueberries,  and 
when  he  was  a-goin'  away  he  gave  us  pints  about  burnin' 
the  land  to  clear  off  the  scrub  that  we  never  tho't  of 
afore.  No  wonder  he  knowed  so  much ;  why,  he  had  a 
book  he  called  a  dickshunary  so  big  I  cou'd  scurcely  lift 
it,  and  he  had  a  lot  o'  them  ensiklopeedies  and  hist'ries, 
an'  a  grate  big  jogafy,  what  'ud  tell  you  all  about 
Alasky  an'  ther  Pillipeens.  An'  he  had  an  argyment 
on  any  subject." 

"  How  did  he  like  this  section  of  the  country  ?  "  in 
quired  Ike. 

"  Oh,  he  thought  it  was  spl'n'did,  only  the  popilla- 
shun  warn't  so  much  as  he  'spected  to  find.  'Tany  rate, 
he  boarded  at  Widder  Spencer's,  and  they  had  lots  o 
company,  strawberry  fest'vals  at  the  meetin'-house,  hay 
rack  rides,  an'  he  enjoyed  his  visit  treemenjous.  He 
sent  me  this  air  pipe  fer  a  Crismus  present,  winter  after 
he  wuz  down.  But  I  wuz  kind  o'  sorry  about  the  send- 
off  he  got  when  he  wuz  leavin'." 

"  So  he  staid  at  Mrs.  Spencer's,  did  he  ? "  queried 
Ike. 

"  Yes,  they  sed  he  give  her  lot  o'  'tention  when  they 
wuz  at  ther  soci'bles,  and  seemed  to  like  her  putty  well, 
but  then  she's  got  good  lot  o'  common  sense,  and  don't 
think  she'd  take  up  with  any  stranger,  onless  she  knowed 
a  good  deal  'bout  him,"  responded  Eben. 

"  How  about  the  send-off  that  you  referred  to  ?  "  asked 
Ike. 


106  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

"  When  he  was  about  to  go  back  to  Washington, 
thought  he'd  like  to  go  by  steamboat,  soze  ter  see  Bar 
Harbor,  and  git  a  glimpse  at  ther  coast,  an'  he  engaged 
Lickety  ter  drive  him  ter  Ripley,  where  ther  steamboat 
lands.  They  left  here  after  supper  s'pectin  ter  git 
there  'bout  nine  o'clock  in  the  evenin',  and  when  they 
left  here  Lickety's  horse  trotted  off  as  though  his  jints 
wuz  limber  as  an  eel,  and  seemed  ter  pull  a  little  on  the 
bit,  if  anything.  When  they'd  got  within  'bout  five 
miles  o'  Ripley  ther  horse  stopped,  put  back  his  ears, 
and  tried  ter  round  himself  round  in  a  heap,  snorted, 
and  began  ter  grunt.  Then  he  started  up  on  a  trot  and 
broke  inter  a  run ;  they  were  on  a  down  grade,  and  the 
horse  seemed  to  have  been  taken  wild  all  of  a  suddin, 
shivered,  jerked  himself  backwards,  rolled  over  sideways 
and  fell,  breakin'  both  shafts  right  square  off." 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  the  horse  ? "  queried 
Ike. 

"  Twas  an  ole'  trader  what  'ud  been  'round  here  long 
time,  and  was  subject  ter  staggers ;  Lickety  oughter 
knowed  better'n  ter  took  a  gen'leman  ter  ride  with  such 
a  hoss." 

"  Oh.  the  blind  staggers,"  said  Ike ;  "  how  did  they 
get  to  Ripley  ?  " 

"  When  the  horse  fell  Lickety  got  onter  his  head,  and 
Tillson  tried  ter  help  get  ther  hoss  loosened  from  ther 
harness.  Fin'lly  ther  hoss  cum  to,  and  when  he  did 
they  were  all  tangled  up  with  ther  gear  and  ther  tugs 
and  ther  reins.  'Twas  dark,  and  when  he  riz  his  heels 
he  kicked  Lickety  in  the  leg  with  such  force  that  he 
was  lame  for  a  mouth.  Howsumever,  when  they  got 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  107 

out  of  their  mess  it  was  near  mornin',  and  Tillson  found 
that  his  hand  was  cut  and  his  side  was  badly  bruised. 
Lickety  offered  to  get  'nother  waggin  and  drive  him 
down,  but  he  declined.  He  walked  the  rest  o'  ther  way, 
and  engaged  a  livery  man  ter  drive  out  to  where  Lickety 
was  and  get  his  trunk  and  things.  When  he  got  ter 
llipley  he  wuz  pretty  badly  beat  out,  an'  I  guess  he 
must  have  swore  sum'  'bout  that  blamed  hoss  Lickety 
had." 

"  That  must  have  been  a  very  disagreeable  experience," 
remarked  Ike. 

"  Yes,  when  I  heard  'bout  it  I  got  Ansel  Hicks  ter 
rite  a  letter  ter  him  fer  me,  an'  sort  er  apolergized  fer 
Lickety ;  an'  he  rit  back  that  'twas  all  right,  he  liked 
down  here  and  enjoyed  the  hull  six  weeks  while  here, 
and  when  he  cum  agin  would  stay  six  months." 

"  What  did  Lickety  have  to  say  about  the  break 
down  with  the  horse  that  had  the  staggers  ? "  asked 
Ike. 

"  Didn't  say  nothin'  'bout  it.  Next  day  I  went  over 
to  their  house,  saw  Lickety  was  bolstered  up  in  a  rock- 
in'-chair  and  his  left  leg  on  a  cushioned  box,  and  I  sed, 
What's  ther  matter  ?  He  laughed  and  sed,  'That's  ruther 
pussonel.'  Then  I  asked  how  he  got  to  Ripley,  and  he 
sed  fust-rate.  So  we  never  suspected  nuthin'  until  word 
cum  up  from  Ripley,  and  then  ther  boys  had  fun  with 
Lickety." 

While  Eben  had  been  exerting  himself  with  the  nar 
rative  about  the  experience  of  the  man  from  Washing 
ton,  Lige  was  very  fidgety  until  there  was  a  lull.  He 
wished  for  a  chance  to  tell  a  story,  as  he  knew  it  was 


108  IKE  GL1DDEN  IN  MAINE. 

always  expected  that  he  must  be  prepared  to  take  his 
part  at  a  gathering  like  this. 

"  That  Lickety  thinks  he's  a  horse-jockey,"  said  Lige, 
"  but  I  calc'late  he's  got  the  wust  o'  it  more  times'n  yer 
hear  of.  He  had  a  horse  what  had  been  half  starved 
and  sufferin'  with  old  age,  and  fixed  it  up  fer  a  trader. 
He  groomed  an  brushed  that  hoss  with  the  greatest  care, 
bathed  ther  stiff  jints  with  lin'ment,  filed  his  teeth  so 
his  grinders  come  tergether  like  a  colt's,  an'  in  a  few 
weeks  the  old  hoss  picked  up  soze's  yer  wouldn't  a 
known  him.  So  one  day  Lickety  druv  his  trader,  all 
patched  up  an'  lookin'  like  a  bran'  new  hoss,  over  ter 
Ben  Duncan's,  ter  get  up  a  swap.  He  knew  Ben  had  a 
likin'  fer  a  taste  o'  the  ardent,  and  he  took  a  bottle  o' 
sp'rits  with  him.  When  he  and  Ben  talked  a  while 
'bout  the  weather  an'  ther  news  in  gineral,  then  Lickety 
treated.  Ben,  not  s'pectin'  what  Lickety  was  up  to, 
tuk  a  pretty  good  swaller ;  then  Lickety  began  to  brag 
up  ther  ol'  hoss.  Ben's  mighty  p'lite  yer  know,  an' 
bein's  Lickety  was  so  lib'ral  ter  call  an'  treat,  he  re'dly 
acknowledg'd  the  good  pints  o'  the  ol'  hoss  Lickety  was 
a-tellin'  'bout.  Ben  seemed  so  onsospectin'  an'  gettin'  so 
fav'ribly  "mpressed  with  the  old  hoss  that  Lickety 
thought  'bout  time  ter  treat  again.  They  tuk  'nother 
drink.  Lickety  then  struck  Ben  to  trade ;  Ben  had  a 
nice,  smooth,  slick  mare,  what  wuz  trappy  and  smart  as 
a  colt  on  the  road.  Ben  didn't  say  he  wouldn't  trade. 
Lickety  got  ter  puffin'  up  his  ole  hoss,  soze  you'd  a 
thought  it  was  the  Millbridge  Racker.  Every  once  'n  a 
while  they'd  take  a  drink,  an'  Lickety  thought  after 
each  draught  they  tuk  that  Ben  wuz  more  inclined  ter 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  109 

trade.  As  the  day  waned  an'  ther  whiskey  became  low, 
the  anxiety  and  braggin'  o'  Lickety  increased.  When 
ther  bottle  was  presented  ter  Ben,  with  only  one  more 
drink  in  it,  he  took  in,  looked  at  the  ol'  hoss  fer  a  few 
minits,  then  put  ther  bottle  to  his  lips  and  drained  it  ter 
ther  bottom.  When  he  tuk  ther  bottle  from  his  mouth 
he  stud  and  waited  ter  get  his  breath.  Lickety  was  still 
busy  and  waxin'  eloquent  on  the  good  qual'ties  o'his  trader. 
When  Ben  got  his  breath  agin  soze  ter  speak,  he  said, 
4  Look  a  here,  Lickety,  you  needn't  think  I  don't  b'lieve 
he's  some  good  pints,  'cause  I've  knowed  him  ever  since 
he  was  a  colt.  Deacon  Squirm  owned  him  once,  an'  he 
was  counted  a  dinged  good  ol'  hoss  then,  and  that  must 
a  ben  twenty-five  year  ago.  If  you  had  a  colt  leetle 
heav'er  than  my  mare,  darned  if  I  wouldn't  be  tempted 
ter  trade  with  yer.'  When  Lickety  found  he  had  been 
outwitted,  he  was  in  a  dreadful  hurry  ter  get  ter  the 
post-office  ter  mail  a  letter  and  druv  off." 

"  Ben  evidently  knew  the  old  horse,"  said  Ike. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  Lige,  "  when  one  o'  these  ol' 
traders  once  sees  a  hoss,  an'  learns  his  hist'ry,  he  will 
allus  know  that  hoss,  no  matter  where  he  sees  'im." 

By  the  time  they  had  told  all  the  details  and  laugh 
able  incidents  of  every  horse  trade  that  had  been  made 
in  the  district  within  their  memory,  the  fire  burned  low, 
the  party  broke  up,  and  the  visiting  members  returned 
to  their  respective  tents.  Zeke  and  Eben  went  out  to 
look  after  the  horses  that  were  tethered  to  see  that  they 
were  safe  and  free  from  danger  of  being  cast,  and  then 
returned  to  their  quarters  and  lay  down  to  rest,  where 
they  were  hushed  to  sleep  by  the  buzzing  night  flies  so 


110  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

familiar  to  those  \vho  have  enjoyed  the  rude  canopies  of 
the  pleasure  camp  in  the  summer  playgrounds  of  Maine. 
When  the  party  broke  up  Ike  quickly  found  his  way 
to  Mandy  Garland's  side  and  volunteered  to  accompany 
her  to  her  mother's  tent.  Several  others  were  going  in 
the  same  direction.  Ike  and  Mandy  walked  together 
somewhat  apart  from  the  others  under  the  soft  light  of 
the  full  moon,  with  all  the  romance  of  the  silent  plains 
sweetly  appealing  to  them.  They  found  Mi's.  Garland 
seated  at  the  door  of  her  tent,  admiring  the  beauty  of  the 
moonlight  shimmering  on  the  surface  of  the  stream.  She 
gave  Ike  a  cordial  greeting,  and  they  sat  there  for  some 
time,  absorbing  the  novelty  of  their  surroundings.  Over 
the  whole  broad  expanse  there  was  peace  in  the  awesome 
silence  of  the  night,  broken  only  by  the  dreamy  call  of 
the  night  birds,  the  lapping  of  the  stream  as  it  flowed 
over  its  gravelly  bed,  and  off  in  a  distant  tent  the 
sound  of  some  youthful  camper  giving  expression  to  his 
appreciation  of  a  freedom  that  is  enjoyed  only  at  the 
cost  of  performing  some  duty.  The  words  came  more 
clearly  to  the  listeners  as  they  sat,  and  caused  them 
much  merriment  as  the  singer's  feelings  were  expressed 
hi  the  following  words  : 

Goin'  berryin'  ain't  so  bad 

'F  it  keeps  you  out  o'  school, 
I'd  rather  tramp  the  berry  patch 

Than  study  double  rule 

Of  three  or  some  such  foolish  thing. 

But  my  !  it  makes  me  mad 
When  right  in  vacation  time 

Ma  sings  out  or  dad  : 


THE  BLUEBERRY  PLAINS.  Ill 

«'  Johnny,  berries  gettin'  ripe  ; 

Just  take  a  pail  and  chase 
Yourself  up  'crost  the  pasture  lot 

To  that  old  '  foller '  place, 

'Nd  pick  enough  to  make  some  pies." 

Why  don't  they  send  me  out 
Along  the  meadow  brook  to  catch 

A  nice  big  mess  of  trout  ? 

The'  ain't  no  sport  in  gettin'  scratched 

All  up  with  berry  briars, 
Why  don't  a  feller's  pa  and  ma 

Know  better  what  he  d'sires  ? 

Fish  is  jes'  as  good  to  eat 

As  any  berry  pie  ; 
'F  I  go  berryin'  any  more 

'N  vacation,  I'll  know  why. 

The  moon  began  to  sink,  and  darkness  suggested  that 
it  was  time  to  rest  before  the  morning  labors  began. 
Ike  said  "Good-night"  and  started  back  to  Eben's. 
But  the  novelty  of  the  plains  induced  him  to  continue 
his  ramble  along  the  brook  till  he  came  to  a  clump  of 
alders  near  the  edge  of  the  stream.  Darkness  by  this 
time  pervaded  the  surroundings,  especially  at  this  spot. 
Ike  had  scarcely  passed  the  center  of  the  thicket  of 
alders  when  he  received  a  blow  that  felled  him  to  the 
earth,  and  in  an  instant  his  body  was  assailed  with  a 
shower  of  blows  and  kicks.  He  struggled  to  his  feet 
despite  the  vigorous  attack  of  his  assailants,  but  it  was 
going  hard  with  him.  Loud  cries  resounded  in  the  air, 
"  Grab  his  legs  !  "  "  Club  him  !  "  "  We'll  teach  you,  Shy 
ster  Glidden,  to  pick  a  fuss !  "  and  again  Ike  was  felled 


112  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

to  the  earth,  his  throat  was  held  in  a  vice-like  grip  by 
one  of  the  miscreants  while  the  others  continued  to  beat 
and  kick  him. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  crashing  and  tearing  among  the 
berry  bushes,  and  a  whoop  resounded  that  would  put  a 
Penobscot  warrior  to  the  blush,  and  the  burly  form  of 
Tim  Cronin  burst  through  the  thicket,  his  arms  going  like 
piston  rods.  He  laid  about  him  with  such  effect  that 
three  of  Ike's  assailants  went  down  before  them  and  the 
others  fled.  Ike  rose  quickly  to  his  feet  and  grasped 
the  hand  of  his  deliverer.  "I  don't  know  who  you  are, 
but  I  thank  you,  nevertheless,  for  your  prompt  assistance. 
Were  it  not  for  your  timely  arrival  I  think  those  rascals 
would  have  finished  me,"  said  Ike. 

"  Well,  I  know  you,"  said  Tim,  "  and  glad  I  am  that 
I  was  here  to  help  the  friend  of  Dennis  Bogan,  me 
uncle.  I'm  me  uncle's  neffy,  and  I'm  a  friend  to  his 
friends  every  time,"  responded  Tim.  "  I  overheard  the 
rascals  planning  to  do  the  job ;  but  I  didn't  think  they 
meant  to  do  it  this  night,  so  when  I  heard  the  noise  it 
all  come  to  me,  and  I  threw  off  my  blanket  and  rushed 
out  to  your  rescue." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   TWENTY-DOLLAR   LOAN. 

IKE  drove  back  to  town  the  next  morning,  passing 
the  long  procession  of  wagons  loaded  with  berries 
bound  for  the  thriving  factories  of  Squirmtown.  His 
thoughts  were  of  Mandy  Garland.  He  had  made  an 
effort  to  see  her  before  leaving  the  plains,  but  she  was  far 
afield  among  the  multitude  of  pickers,  and  he  wondered 
much  that  she  would  take  herself  away  without  bidding 
him  an  adieu.  He  had  led  himself  to  think  that  Mandy 
had  entertained  a  feeling  of  interest  toward  him,  but 
this  action  on  her  part  led  him  to  believe  that  she  was 
indifferent  to  his  company. 

When  he  entered  the  town  he  found  Ansel  Hicks  and 
Dennis  Bogan  engaged  in  a  heated  altercation  in  regard 
to  the  importance  of  St.  Patrick's  Day  as  a  holiday. 
Their  dispute  took  a  wide  range,  but  their  disagreement 
in  regard  to  the  ancestry  of  the  President  nearly  ended 
in  a  row  with  hand-to-face  blows.  Dennis  claimed  that 
the  President  was  a  full-fledged  Irishman,  and  said  to  An 
sel,  "  You  are  like  all  the  rest  of  the  Yankees,  with  their 
knowledge  of  prescidents  and  patri'sm,  until  there  is 
war.  Yer  niver  fired  a  gun,  an'  don't  know  the  first 
article  of  the  Constitution.  Shure,  an'  it's  us  that  cum 
from  the  ould  counthry  that  saved  the  Union."  The 
crowd  cheered  Dennis,  while  Ansel  walked  away, 

113 


114  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

declaring  that  he  preferred  to  talk  with  "edicated 
people." 

"  Get  into  the  carriage  with  me  ;  I  want  to  talk  with 
you,"  said  Ike. 

"Who  is  this  Tim  Cronin?"  he  asked. 

"  Oho,  he  wuz  a  line  boy  once  before  the  drink  got  a 
hold  on  him,"  answered  Dennis. 

Dennis  told  all  about  Tim's  good  qualities,  and  of 
his  unfortunate  habit  of  drinking,  and  then  Ike  related 
the  stirring  events  of  the  night  before  and  of  Tim's  he 
roic  part  in  it.  Dennis  was  very  much  gratified  when 
he  heard  of  the  splendid  performance  of  his  beloved 
nephew.  "  Oh,  he'd  be  a  noble  boy  if  it  wuzn't  for  the 
likker,"  said  Dennis  sadly.  "  But  how  can  you  expect 
to  fight  the  thirst  for  rum  in  a  community  where  the 
best  people  go  mad  in  their  condemnashun  of  the  lik 
ker  traffic,  and  look  up  their  law  books  with  prohibitory 
acts,  while  at  the  same  time  these  same  people,  from  the 
deacons  down,  think  it  not  beneath  them  to  make 
money  by  turning  the  blessed  fruit  that  God  gave  them 
into  likker  that  draws  away  men's  senses,  and  peddle 
it  out  to  the  poor  misguided  drunkards  under  the  false 
name  of  bitters  and  tonics.  Thank  heavens,  I  never 
took  a  drink  of  no  likker  of  any  kind  since  I  landed  in 
Ameriky,  and  I  niver  saw  such  drinkiness  until  I  came 
to  a  State  where  it  is  a  great  crime  to  sell  it." 

"There  is  much  truth  in  what  you  have  said,  Dennis, 
but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  there  is  good  in  Tim,  and 
firmly  believe  that  there's  enough  in  him  yet  to  become 
a  whole  man  again  and  a  man  to  be  proud  of." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  Lawyer  Glidden," 


THE  TWENTY-DOLLAK  LOAN.  115 

said  Dennis  with  a  sigh.  "  How  proud  'twould  make  us 
if  we  could  only  see  him  take  a  new  turn  for  the  bet 
ter." 

Soon  after  Ike  returned  to  his  office  a  young  man 
called,  who  had  evidently  been  drinking. 

"  That  was  a  close  corner  those  fellers  had  you  in 
when  I  got  around,"  said  the  caller. 

Ike  looked  at  him  sharply,  and  recognized  the  same 
person  whom  he  met  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  pre 
vious.  "  Hello,  is  this  the  fellow  who  saved  my  life  ?  " 
asked  Ike  in  a  tone  of  gratitude. 

"  Yes,  I'm  the  chap  what  give  it  to  Lickety  under  the 
ear,"  proudly  responded  the  caller. 

"  So,  this  is  you,  Tim  ;  I'm  mighty  glad  to  make  your 
acquaintance,  and  you  cannot  fully  realize  how  much  I 
appreciate  the  service  you  rendered  me  last  night. 
Tim,  I  shall  always  remember  you,  and  if  I  ever  can 
give  you  a  compliment  or  extend  a  favor  it  will  be  done," 
said  Ike. 

"  Never  mind  that,  Lawyer  Glidden  ;  I'm  just  tellin' 
you  to  keep  yer  eye  on  the  watch  for  them  chaps,"  said 
Tim. 

"  Thought  I  left  you  on  the  plains  ?  It's  a  surprise  to 
see  you  here?  Glad  to  see  you  anyhow,"  said  Ike. 

"  Oh,  there's  to  be  a  dance  here  to-night,  and  you 
know  I  always  like  to  be  at  the  dances.  I  was  on  one 
of  them  loaded  teams  you  passed,"  answered  Tim. 

"  Is  that  so  ?  I  did  not  notice  you ;  but  then  I  don't 
know  as  I'd  really  know  you  anyway,  if  you  hadn't  re 
ferred  to  the  encounter  we  had  with  Bluster  and  Lick 
ety,"  said  Ike. 


116  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

When  Tim  left  the  office  Ike  said  to  himself,  "  That's 
a  noble  fellow,  and  I  like  his  frank,  open,  honest  coun 
tenance.  I  am  going  to  try  and  straighten  him  out." 

From  that  time  on  he  and  Tim  were  great  friends. 

But  Tim  was  rapidly  becoming  more  indolent,  even 
neglecting  home  and  parents,  and  seldom  was  content 
to  remain  in  the  quiet  of  their  humble  abode,  unless  he 
went  there  to  recuperate  from  the  effects  of  a  spree  in 
town.  The  amount  of  his  earnings  grew  less,  and  fin 
ally  he  became  an  habitual  borrower  from  his  friends  of 
money  with  which  to  purchase  liquor  to  satisfy  the  un 
ceasing  hankering  he  had  acquired  for  it. 

lie  had  become  a  street  loafer  and  spent  the  most  of 
his  time  in  lounging  around  the  stores.  Ike  took  a 
friendly  interest  in  him,  and  urged  him  to  mend  his 
ways,  by  saying  to  him,  "  You  might  be  somebody  if 
you'd  only  let  rum  alone." 

Ike's  attempt  to  reform  him  seemed  fruitless,  as  it 
appeared  to  be  of  no  use  to  advise  or  try  to  encourage 
him.  The  only  redeeming  feature  left  in  his  shattered 
character  was  that  he  was  perfectly  honest,  and  took 
pride  in  returning  the  amount  of  those  small  loans  he 
had  taken  as  soon  as  he  could  earn  the  money.  While 
his  acquaintances  felt  perfectly  safe  in  accommodating 
him  with  small  loans  they  began  to  refuse  his  demands 
for  favors  of  this  kind,  because  they  knew  he  would 
spend  the  money  for  liquor,  and  he  was  often  obliged  to 
resort  to  a  subterfuge  of  a  harmless  nature  to  secure  a 
temporary  loan.  One  day  he  went  into  Ike's  office  and 
said,  "Ike,  I  want  ter  borrow  twenty  dollars." 

"  What  in  the  world  do  you  want  of  that  much 
money?  "  said  Ike  in  apparent  surprise. 


THE  TWENTY-DOLLAR  LOAN.  117 

"Me  father  is  dead,"  said  Tim,  "and  I  suppose  I'll 
need  so  much  money  ter  bury  him." 

"  Your  father  is  dead ! "  said  Ike  very  pathetically, 
I'm  awfully  sorry  to  hear  such  sad  news,  Tim,"  and 
opening  his  wallet  continued,  "  Here,  Tim,  is  twenty  dol 
lars,  and  if  there  is  any  other  favor  I  can  do  for  you 
under  the  circumstances  just  let  me  know." 

Tim's  father  was  not  dead,  but  for  several  weeks  had 
been  in  a  feeble  condition ;  Tim  took  the  money,  and 
started  for  the  city  of  Deblois  on  an  old-fashioned  ben 
der,  and  did  not  return  home  until  the  last  cent  was 
gone.  Not  being  acquainted  with  anybody  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  Tim's  home,  and  Tim  leaving  town  at  once, 
Ike  heard  no  more  about  the  Cronins,  and  supposed  all 
the  time  that  Tim's  father  was  really  dead  until  about 
three  weeks  afterward  (when  the  old  man  did  die)  Tim 
went  into  the  harness  room  in  the  corner  of  Ike's  stable, 
sat  down  beside  the  fire,  and  for  some  time  remained 
silent  there  with  bowed  head.  This  seeming  to  Ike  to 
be  exceedingly  strange  in  the  loquacious  Tim,  he  said, 
"  What's  the  matter,  Tim  ?  you  seem  to  be  in  deep 
thought  this  morning." 

"  Nawthin's  the  matter,  but  I'd  like  the  lend  of 
twenty  dollars  if  yer  plase,"  answered  Tim  rather 
meekly  and  shyly. 

"  Twenty  dollars  !  "  said  Ike,  "  Why  you  owe  me  that 
much  already;  what  in  the  Old  Harry  do  you  want 
money  for  now?  I  can't  let  you  have  any  more  money." 

"Now,  Ike,"  said  Tim  in  a  crest-fallen  tone, 
"'Twouldn't  be  askin'  it,  only  I  need  it  the  worst'n  I 
ever  did  in  my  life." 


118  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

"  You  need  money  I  what  use  can  you  have  for  so 
much  money?"  said  Ike  in  his  good-natured  way,  as  he 
was  stepping  into  his  carriage  with  the  intention  to 
drive  off. 

"  Hold  on,  Ike,"  said  Tim  in  a  hurried  and  pleading 
way,  "shure  an'  me  father  is  dead,  an'  I  suppose  I'll 
have  ter  bury  him,  and  divil  a  cent  have  I  got. 
Wouldn't  you  do  a  favor,  Ike,  and  help  me  in  my  heap 
o'  trouble  ?  " 

«'  Your  father  dead  !  "  said  Ike  in  amazement,  "  why 
I  thought  your  father  died  three  weeks  ago ;  didn't  I 
give  you  twenty  dollars  then  to  bury  him?  what  be 
came  of  that  money?" 

"  Never  mind,  Ike,"  said  Tim  excitedly,  "  'pon  my 
word  he's  surely  dead  this  time." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  his  appeal  went  to  Ike's 
heart,  and  as  soon  as  he  obtained  sufficient  information 
to  satisfy  him  that  Tim's  father  was  really  dead  this 
time,  he  let  him  have  the  money. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

MRS.  SQUIRM'S  POPLEST  DRESS. 

DEACON  SQUIRM  soon  learned  that  it  would  be 
absolutely  necessary  to  procure  supplies  of  bottles 
and  boxes  in  larger  quantities,  and  decided  to  visit  the 
city  and  seek  an  alliance  with  a  wholesale  conc.ernto  supply 
him  with  the  articles  required  in  his  rapidly  growing 
bitter  business.  The  preparations  for  making  that  seem 
ingly  great  journey  was  an  event  that  the  whole  neigh 
borhood  undoubtedly  remember.  To  add  to  the  confu 
sion  Mrs.  Squirm  was  to  accompany  him  and  was  in  a 
state  of  hurry  and  bustle,  having  her  wine-colored  poplin 
dress  made  over  and  only  two  days'  warning.  Mrs. 
Squirm  was  really  child-like  in  her  excitement  and  anti 
cipation  of  the  trip.  She  at  once  sought  the  services  of 
Martha  Dearborn,  the  only  dressmaker  in  the  district,  to 
aid  in  the  enigma  of  converting  her  best  dress  into  a 
form  of  the  latest  and  most  approved  style.  She  called 
on  Martha,  and  found  her  busy  making  a  shroud  for  a 
woman  that  had  just  died,  and  was  informed  by  Martha 
that  if  she  could  wait  until  after  the  funeral,  she  could 
then  render  the  service  required.  This  announcement 
by  the  dressmaker  came  like  the  last  line  of  a  destiny  to 
Mrs.  Squirm. 

"  How  in  all  creation  am  I  a-goin'  ter  git  the  deacon 
ter  put  oft'  his  trip  until  after  the  funeral.     They're  a  hoi- 

119 


120  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

lerin'  fer  more  an'  more  bitters,  an'  he's  out  o'  bottles, 
and  must  go  day  after  termorrer,"  lamented  Mrs. 
Squirm. 

"  Well,  now,  you  know  'twould  be  sacriledge  fer  me 
ter  not  make  this  shroud,  jest  ter  git  you  reddy  ter  go 
pleasurin'.  'Tis  a  case  o'  duty.  We  must  be  beueve- 
lent,"  responded  Martha. 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do  there,  d'yer  think  my 
poplin  dress  would  look  too  much  out  o'  style,  if  I  should 
wear  it  jest  as  'tis  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Squirm. 

"  I'm  'fraid  those  trimmin's  are  jest  a  bit  too  notice 
able,  and  it  might  not  appear's  well  as  you'd  like.  Now, 
there's  Mandy  Garland,  your  niece,  she's  very  stylish, 
and  I  should  think  b'tween  you  and  her  that  you  could 
make  it  over  without  any  other  help,"  said  Martha. 

Such  a  suggestion  had  an  encouraging  effect  on  the 
old  lady,  who  immediately  sent  for  her  favorite  niece, 
Mandy,  to  come  to  her  rescue  and  assist  in  her  prepara 
tions  for  a  trip  to  Bangor.  The  messenger  soon  re 
turned  with  an  answer  that  Mandy  was  at  Deblois 
attending  a  Sunday-school  Convention,  and  would  not 
return  for  several  days.  The  fates  seemed  to  be  against 
Mrs.  Squirm  in  her  endeavors  to  appear  young  arid 
stylish. 

The  determination  of  Mrs.  Squirm  was  commendable  ; 
the  disappointments  already  met  with  had  only  a  ten 
dency  to  make  her  more  resolute  in  her  plans  to  have 
her  best  dress  made  stylish,  and  she  decided  to  attempt 
the  task  herself  with  the  assistance  of  only  Katy  Brown, 
her  hired  girl.  They  finally  commenced  the  extensive 
operation,  Mrs.  Squirm's  brain,  eyes  and  hands  busy 


MRS.    SQUIRM'S  POPLIN  DKESS.  121 

planning,  superintending  and  arranging  the  reconstruc 
tion,  and  Katy  with  scissors  in  hand  actively  engaged 
ripping  and  cutting.  When  the  ruffles  and  flounces  had 
been  ripped  off  the  skirt,  and  the  polonaise  had  been 
dissected  into  numerous  sections,  Mrs.  Squirm  tried  to 
cut  and  readjust  the  parts  together,  but  it  seemed  like  a 
deep  problem.  She  studied  a  fashion  plate  for  a  while, 
and  then  tried  to  apply  the  knowledge  just  acquired  to 
changing  the  shape  of  the  garment  to  the  design  of  the 
illustration  in  the  fashion  book.  After  puzzling  over 
the  dubious  task  she  and  Katy  were  obliged  to  give  up 
in  despair.  It  was  nearly  noon,  and  she  went  to  the 
bottling  shed,  declaring  that  this  world  is  but  a  vale  of 
tears. 

"  There,"  she  said,  as  she  commenced  to  vent  her 
troubles  to  the  deacon,  "  I've  got  my  dress  all  ripped 
and  took  apart,  and  now  I  can't  git  it  together  agin  fer 
ther  life  of  me.  Had  I  known  yestiddy  that  Martha 
Dearborn  couldn't  fix  over  my  dress  until  after  ther  fun'- 
ral,  I'd  a  tuk  the  hoss  and  kerridge  an'  druv  down  to 
Monsapec  an'  got  Sally  Thrasher  ter  fixed  it.  Sal 
aknows  how,  'cause  she  made  over  this  same  dress  once 
afore  ;  ther  time  I  went  ter  ther  reunion  o'  ther  Smith 
family.  That  wuz  centen'ial  year,  an'  she's  such  a 
rusher  'twon't  take  her  no  time  if  I  kin  only  git  her." 

"If  yer  say  yer  want  ter  go  down  I'll  tell  John  ter 
hitch  ther  colt  inter  ther  Concord  waggin,  and  you  can 
drive  down  and  git  Sal  ter  cum  up  and  do  yer  sewin'," 
said  the  deacon  in  a  very  consoling  accent.  The  colt 
was  harnessed  and  brought  around  to  the  front-door 
steps,  where  the  deacon  was  directing  Katy  to  ride  down 


122  IKE   GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

with  Mrs.  Squirm  as  far  as  the  post-office  and  obtain  his 
mail.  Mrs.  Squirm  and  Katy  got  into  the  wagon,  and 
the  colt  started  out  with  a  fierce  dash  of  speed.  Hold 
ing  the  reins  taut  Mrs.  Squirm  said,  "  This  air  colt  ain't 
been  out  fer  a  few  days,  an'  is  sort  o'  frisky,  an'  I'm  a 
little  onsteddy  in  my  nerves,  an'  he  seems  to  be  a  kinder 
waverin'  in  his  notions,  'cause  he  knows  it's  me  what's 
a-drivin'.  He  needs  a  stiddy  bit  an'  a  firm  martin'gill 
ter  drive  'im  along  straight,  so  ther  deacon  told  John  ter 
put  this  rig  on  him.  You  might  a  seen  him  a-caperin' 
when  John  led  him  out  on  the  halter,  he  was  prancin' 
an'  a-dancin'  on  his  hind  legs,  until  he  got  him  hitched 
inter  this  new  bitin'  gear  an'  overdraw/' 

When  they  were  passing  a  gorgeously  hued  circus 
poster  on  a  bill  board  along  the  roadside,  the  colt  shied 
off  sideways ;  the  old  lady  struck  him  with  the  whip, 
and  he  sprang  forward,  stopped,  snorted  as  if  afraid,  and 
naturally  enough  began  to  back  a  little.  "  G'lang ! 
g'lang  there  !  cried  the  old  lady  in  a  tone  that  indicated 
fear  and  excitement.  The  scene  \vas  nearing  one  of 
danger.  She  struck  the  colt  again  ;  he  pricked  up  his 
ears,  made  several  bounds  in  the  air,  shook  his  head  and 
went  away  galloping.  The  old  lady,  her  bonnet  on  the 
back  of  her  head,  holding  on  to  the  reins  with  a  grip  as 
if  it  was  all  for  dear  life,  finally  steadied  the  colt  down 
to  a  nice,  smooth,  trotting  clip  and  was  sending  it  along 
with  great  speed. 

"  Takes  me  ter  drive,"  she  said  ;  "  when  I  was  young 
I  could  drive's  well's  any  man  in  the  hull  county." 

The  commotion  of  that  little  episode  seemed  to  have 
something  of  an  exhilarating  effect  on  the  old  lady,  and 
had  a  tendency  to  temper  her  pride  as  an  expert  driver. 


MRS.    SQUIRM, "TAKES   ME   TER   DRIVE.     WHEN    I   WUZ  YOUNG   I   COULD 

DRIVE'S  WELL'S  ANY  MAN  IN  THE  HULL  COUNTY" 


MRS.   SQUIRM'S   POPLIN   DRESS.  123 

The  colt  was  jogging  along  at  a  fairly  good  clip,  when 
a  roan  horse  harnessed  to  a  carriage  came  out  from  the 
driveway  of  a  farmhouse  and  turned  into  the  road  just 
behind  Mrs.  Squirm's  team.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
drive  past  the  old  lady.  She  pulled  upon  the  reins, 
clucked  to  the  colt,  gave  him  a  gentle  tap  with  the  whip, 
and  away  he  broke  into  a  run,  and  seemed  almost  un 
manageable.  The  colt  galloped  almost  out  of  sight  of 
the  roan,  leaving  the  dust  behind  rising  in  clouds  like 
smoke,  so  that  when  the  post-office  was  reached  the  old 
lady  was  almost  overcome  with  the  fatigue  of  holding 
on  and  the  colt  was  thick  with  foam.  Katy  alighted 
and  went  into  the  post-office,  and  the  old  lady  proceeded 
alone  on  her  way  to  Monsapec.  The  colt  by  that  time 
was  not  quite  so  fresh,  and  was  easily  driven  the  re 
mainder  of  the  distance,  and  the  old  lady  was  fully  equal 
to  the  occasion  of  being  its  driver. 

When  she  arrived  at  Miss  Thrasher's  she  found  that 
young  lady  over-run  with  work,  and  it  was  almost  use 
less  to  try  to  persuade  her  to  leave  her  home  patrons  to 
go  so  far  away  as  Squirmtown  to  fulfil  the  services 
that  Mrs.  Squirm  so  earnestly  solicited. 

"Why,  how  dy'er  do,  Aunt  Hannah  Squirm?"  was 
the  greeting  extended  to  the  old  lady. 

"  Well,  Sail,  I'm  in  a  reg'lar  heap  o'  trouble,  an'  I 
come  down  to  fetch  you  up  ter  get  me  fixed  up,  so'st  I 
can  go  ter  Banger  day  after  termorrer  with  the  deacon," 
said  Mrs.  Squirm. 

"  Trouble  !  what  kind  of  trouble  ?  How  can  I  help 
you  then  ?  I  can't  think  of  leaving  home,  with  so  many 
people  waiting  for  their  dresses,"  responded  Sally. 


124  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"  Bin  disapp'inted,  disappointed,  egg'sackly  what  I 
might  a  'spected.  The  story  is  rather  'stror'iiary,  but 
co'se  I'll  haf  ter  tell  yer  the  hull  on  it  'fore  you'll  know 
what  I  want,  I  s'pose." 

"Yes,  tell  me  the  whole  story,  Aunt  Hannah,  and 
then  I  may  know  how  and  what  you  need,"  said  Sal 
eagerly,  because  she  thought  the  old  lady's  story  would 
include  a  choice  bit  of  gossip. 

Mrs.  Squirm  related  the  plan  of  the  deacon  to  visit 
Bangor,  and  her  predicament  in  trying  to  fix  over  the 
dress.  A  very  little  persuasion  induced  Miss  Thrasher 
to  leave  her  work,  and  accompany  the  old  lady  to 
Squirmtown.  Mi's.  Squirm  evidently  hurried  the  colt 
along  on  the  return  trip,  as  when  she  reached  home  that 
evening,  the  colt  did  not  carry  his  head  quite  so  high  as 
when  he  left  home,  and  showed  some  signs  011  his  side 
where  the  old  lady  had  lashed  him  with  her  whip  in 
her  hurry  to  reach  home  before  dark. 

On  the  next  day  Miss  Thrasher  easily  performed  the 
service  that  the  old  lady  was  so  anxious  should  be  done 
in  an  up-to-date  manner.  Before  tea  time  the  wine- 
colored  poplin  dress  was  reconstructed  and  gave  indica 
tions  of  a  garment  made  up  in  accordance  with  some 
modern  plans  and  designs.  During  the  day  the  deacon 
was  extremely  busy  in  perfecting  his  plans  to  leave 
home,  and  during  the  evening  was  approached  by  a 
prominent  young  man  in  town  on  the  matter  of  selling 
him  an  interest  in  the  business.  The  principal  induce 
ment  for  the  deacon  to  receive  him  as  a  partner  was 
that  he  had  just  graduated  from  a  business  college,  and 
claimed  to  know  how  to  do  business  "  in  a  business-like 
manner." 


MRS.  SQUIRM'S  POPLIN   DRESS.  125 

But  after  spending  two  hours  or  more  in  conversation 
with  the  young  man,  the  deacon  finally  gave  him  the 
answer, —  "  I  know  I  hain't  ben  ter  no  biziness  college 
and  don't  know  much  'bout  biziness  in  giiieral,  but  then 
I  guess  I  know's  much  'bout  this  peertikler  biziness  as 
any  o'  yer  and  won't  jine  nobudy  with  me  yet  'while." 

During  the  evening  Mrs.  Squirm  got  out  the  deacon's 
white  shirt  and  collar,  and  hung  them  together  with  his 
clean  underclothes  on  a  chair  near  the  fire  in  the  kitchen, 
and  when  the  deacon  came  in  from  the  bottling  shed, 
she  said,  "  There,  I  guess  you'll  find  the  wash-tub  in  the 
wood-shed,  and  there's  plenty  warm  water  in  the  big 
kittle."  She  evidently  had  made  some  preparations  to 
assist  the  deacon  in  an  heroic  effort  to  take  a  bath  before 
leaving  home.  Taking  a  bath  in  a  country  house  is  like 
taking  Manilla.  It  requires  such  an  endless  amount  of 
preparation  that,  when  it  is  actually  accomplished,  one 
feels  that  a  great  victory  has  been  won. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

SQUIRMTCAVN    HAS    A    BOOM. 

THE  success  and  growth  of  the  blueberry-bitter  in 
dustry  proved  a  great  factor  in  the  development 
and  prosperity  of  Squirmtown.  In  less  than  a  year  after 
Deacon  Squirm  ventured  to  sell  bitters  to  the  public 
twenty  others  entered  into  the  same  business,  and  each 
of  the  twenty  apparently  met  with  success.  In  speak 
ing  of  the  new  and  unique  industry  a  prominent  man 
said,  "  There  is  old  man  Spencer  who  had  always  been 
poor  until  he  began  to  sell 'Spencer's  IXL  Bitters.' 
It  is  only  a  few  months  since  he  converted  his  carriage 
shed  into  a  bottling  house,  and  within  that  time  he  has 
bought  a  steel  range,  a  parlor  organ  and  lots  of  other 
things,  and  paid  cash  for  them.  There  is  Dan  Giles, 
who  used  to  drive  an  ox-team  in  the  lumbering  woods 
for  twenty-five  dollars  a  month.  Now  he  stays  home 
and  seems  to  have  plenty  of  money,  and  it  is  not  long 
since  he  started  in  the  business,  utilizing  the  kitchen, 
dining-room  and  cellar  of  his  house,  and  with  the  aid  of 
his  wife  and  four  grown-up  daughters  prepared  '  Giles' 
XXX  Fruit  Juice ' ;  Ben  Duncan,  who  erected  a  nice 
new  building  with  the  assistance  of  a  do/en  or  more  em 
ployed  is  busy  making  '  Duncan's  Eureka  Bitters ' ; 
The  Hunt  brothers  occupying  a  new  and  spacious  build 
ing,  with  all  the  boys  and  girls  they  can  engage,  busy 

12C 


SQUIRMTOWN   HAS   A   BOOM.  127 

every  day  bottling  and  labelling  '  Hunt's  Wild-Berry 
Tonic,'  and  sixteen  others,  each  of  them  putting  up  his 
preparation  under  a  name  of  his  own  choice  and  fancy ; 
and  the  products  of  all  the  different  concerns  are  prepared 
from  the  same  blueberry-wine  formula." 

The  demand  for  help  at  the  different  bottling  estab 
lishments  induced  families  to  move  there  from  other 
towns,  and  the  sight  of  hay-racks,  loaded  with  second 
hand  furniture  and  household  goods  going  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Squirmtown,  might  be  seen  almost  any  day  on 
every  road  in  the  county.  Each  house  accommodated 
some  friend  who  came  seeking  employment,  by  renting 
one,  two  or  perhaps  three  rooms  until  every  inhabitable 
building  in  the  village  was  overcrowded,  and  conse 
quently  there  was  a  demand  for  more  houses. 

Some  enterprising  business  men  commenced  to  erect 
houses  for  their  employees,  and  with  this  new  and  neces 
sary  move  came  an  influx  of  carpenters,  masons  and 
other  laborers.  A  demand  for  building  sites  induced 
owners  of  fields  to  remove  the  fences  and  to  measure  off 
large  fields  into  house  lots.  Joe  Sampson  with  the  pro 
ceeds  of  his  subscription  bought  the  farm  across  the  road 
from  Deacon  Squirm's  homestead,  and  opened  his  house 
to  the  public,  putting  up  a  sign  in  large  letters,  "  Samp 
son's  Tavern."  Shops,  stores  and  places  for  all  kinds  of 
business  opened  up,  and  almost  each  day  the  erection 
of  a  new  building  was  begun  for  some  trader  who  had 
heard  of  the  remarkable  growth  of  Squirmtown,  and 
had  come  perhaps  a  long  distance  to  embark  there  in 
trade  and  try  his  fortune  in  the  suburb  of  Blueberry 
Falls.  Each  day  brought  its  new  characters,  fakirs, 


128  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

peddlers,  schemers  and  promoters,  and  the  village  was 
overrun  with  fortune-seekers ;  there  were  all  kinds  and 
types  of  people  among  them,  from  the  "capitalist,"  who 
wore  a  silk  hat  and  carried  a  massive  cane  and  proposed 
to  construct  an  electric  railway  from  the  Falls  out  to 
Squirmtown,  down  to  Armenian  peddlers  with  push 
carts  and  arm-baskets,  who  came  all  the  way  from  Pales 
tine  for  the  sake  of  selling  "  $1.00  worth  of  cotton  laces 
for  10  cents,"  as  they  said ;  and  from  the  steady  and 
thrifty  mechanic  to  the  hoboe  laborer  that  is  always  ready 
to  move  to  a  new  town,  and  who  had  cast  his  lot  with 
the  pioneers  of  every  well  advertised  new  place  from 
Fort  Payne  to  Millinockett. 

About  the  time  rumor  had  gone  out  into  the  world  to 
herald  the  success  of  Deacon  Squirm's  new  enterprise, 
an  agent  for  a  safe  manufacturer  put  in  an  appearance 
for  the  purpose  of  selling  him  a  safe.  After  congratu 
lating  the  deacon  on  his  prosperous  business  the  agent 
complimented  him  by  saying  that,  as  he  held  the  repu 
tation  of  being  a  trusty  man  in  the  town,  he  must  have 
many  valuable  papers  belonging  to  others  in  his  keeping 
for  safety ;  besides  it  was  generally  understood  he  was 
threatened  with  extreme  wealth  from  the  sale  of  his 
celebrated  bitters,  and  he  reminded  him  that  a  man  of 
his  importance  should  certainly  have  a  safe,  and  as  his 
business  was  advancing  with  strides  it  would  be  eco 
nomical  to  buy  a  large  one  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
an  increasing  business. 

The  reference  to  his  trustworthiness  brought  the  fact 
to  the  deacon's  mind  that  he  did  have  in  his  custody 
Dennis  Bogan's  pension  certificate,  Ame  Blibber's  iiisur- 


SQUIRMTOWN   HAS  A  BOOM.  129 

aiice  policy,  and  Jim  Norton's  bond  for  a  deed,  and 
being  susceptible  to  flattery  lie  caught  the  hook,  line  and 
whole  bait,  and  ordered  one  of  the  largest  safes  the 
agent  was  authorized  to  sell.  In  due  time  the  safe 
arrived,  and  to  get  it  upstairs  in  the  deacon's  newly 
made  office  was  a  problem.  Finally  a  tackle  was  rigged, 
and  brought  down  to  the  steps  in  front  of  the  factory, 
and  hooked  into  straps  fastened  around  the  safe,  and  a 
volunteer  crew  of  small  boys  commenced  to  assist  in  the 
"  yo-heave-ho  business,"  while  a  large  delegation  of  loaf 
ers  came  from  the  tavern  to  exercise  general  supervision. 
The  safe  was  coaxed  about  quarter  way  up  the  stairs  on 
a  track  of  planks,  when  something  gave  way  and  down 
came  the  safe. 

The  crowd  rushed  out  and  barely  escaped  a  serious 
accident.  The  safe  lost  a  leg  in  the  catastrophe,  and 
further  operations  were  suspended  until  the  next  day, 
when  the  deacon  concluded  to  move  his  office  downstairs, 
and  then  had  the  safe  moved  in  on  that  floor. 

However  absurd  it  may  seem  this  new  acquisition 
gave  the  deacon  an  exalted  rank  in  the  community,  and 
to  his  safe  was  intrusted  for  safe-keeping  every  form  of 
security  and  document  of  value.  In  fact,  without  any 
intention  on  his  part,  the  safe  suddenly  became  the 
people's  depository  and  safety  vault. 

When  traffic  in  Squirmtown  began  to  increase  Joe 
Sampson's  hotel  patronage  also  increased,  and  his  ven 
ture  was  fast  developing  into  a  genuine  hotel  business. 
With  the  house  frequently  full  of  guests  Liza  was  obliged 
to  employ  an  experienced  girl  to  take  charge  of  the  din 
ing  hall,  because  Nina's  services  were  required  in  the 


130  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

culinary  department.  A  council  composed  of  Joe,  Liza 
and  Ike  decided  that  the  quickest  method  of  securing  an 
experienced  waiter  was  to  send  to  an  employment  agency 
in  Bangor  ;  communication  was  at  once  opened  with 
the  agency,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  a  "girl" 
arrived.  Rose  Langtry  was  her  name.  Experienced? 
yes,  she  said ;  but  time  demonstrated  that  it  could  not 
have  been  true.  When  she  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
serving  dinner  she  attempted  to  be  spry,  and  was  hur 
rying  things  along  at  a  lively  rate,  when  one  of  the 
guests  spoke  up  promptly,  ';  Take  care,  waiter  !  You 
are  putting  your  thumb  in  my  soup.'' 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,  sir  !  It  ain't  very  warm,"  she 
replied. 

In  a  short  time  Rose  assumed  control  of  the  house 
hold,  taking  full  charge  of  the  business  as  well  as  of  the 
house.  She  prepared,  changed,  placed  and  displaced 
everything  according  to  her  own  great  pleasure  and 
without  any  interference.  She  was  naturally  smart,  which 
of  course  had  a  tendency  to  improve  the  business  of  the 
hotel. 

Liza  thought  herself  extremely  fortunate  in  securing 
this  capable  servant,  as  it  gave  her  and  Nina  an  oppor 
tunity  to  take  a  more  prominent  part  in  the  social  func 
tions  of  the  village.  Liza  joined  the  church,  Joe  pur 
chasing  at  a  bargain  a  pew  in  the  meeting-house.  The 
ladies  of  the  church  organized  a  Cemetery  Improvement 
Society,  and  "  'lected  Liza  chairman  of  the  'ciety,"  which 
new  responsibility  had  a  tendency  to  take  the  landlady's 
attention  from  the  home  duties  and  to  give  Rose  more 
sway  in  the  management  of  the  hotel. 


SQUIEMTOWN    HAS  A  BOOM.  131 

During  all  this  time  Rose  was  doubly  busy.  In  addi 
tion  to  running  the  hotel  she  had  been  making  love 
to  Bennie,  Joe's  only  son,  eighteen  years  old,  and  had 
made  arrangements  that  they  should  be  married  imme 
diately,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  folks.  Bennie 
was  so  elated  with  the  idea  of  entering  into  connubial 
bliss  that  he  carefully  kept  the  matter  secret  from  his 
parents,  lest  they  should  bring  his  future  plans  to  naught. 
One  evening  she  told  Bennie  to  get  ready  a  team  and 
that  they  would  go  down  to  Squire  Blunt's  and  be  united 
in  matrimony.  After  the  ceremony  was  performed 
Bennie,  reaching  to  the  bottom  of  his  trousers  pocket, 
said,  "  Squire,  what's  yer  bill  ?  "  In  response  Squire 
Blunt  said,  "  The  law  allows  me  two  dollars,  but  you 
may  give  me  whatever  amount  you  choose."  Bennie 
drew  a  silver  half-dollar  from  his  pocket  and  handed  it 
to  him,  saying,  "Here's  fifty  cents;  that  will  make  two 
dollars  and  fifty  cents."  The  squire  accepted  the  fifty 
cents,  at  the  same  time  smiling  at  the  bridegroom's 
vague  notion  of  the  meaning  of  the  simple  phrase,  "  the 
law  allows,"  and  the  mystery  of  how  he  was  going  to 
obtain  the  two  dollars  from  the  law. 

It  was  not  until  the  next  forenoon  that  they  informed 
the  folks  that  they  had  taken  this  serious  step.  Bennie 
proudly  said  to  his  mother,  "  Ma,  I'm  married." 

"Go  away  with  your  nonsense  and  help  Nina  in  the 
kitchen." 

"  I  tell  yer,  Ma,  I'm  married." 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Bennie?" 

"  I  tell  you,  me  and  Rose's  married." 

"  Yes,"  said  Rose,  who  was  within  hearing  distance, 


132  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"  Bennie  and  me  was  down  to  Squire  Blunt's  last  night 
and  got  married." 

"  Who'd  ever  thought  of  our  Bennie  a-marryin'  be 
neath  us,"  said  Mrs.  Sampson  to  her  husband.  "  It's  a 
disgrace  to  the  hull  o'  us.  How  kin  I  ever  agin  hold 
up  my  head  in  'ciety  ?  Dear,  dear,  what  a  terrible  blow 
ter  us."  She  cried  and  sobbed  aa  she  sank  into  a  par 
oxysm  of  grief. 

Joe  ordered  Rose  to  leave,  but  she  stolidly  refused  to 
depart.  Ike  soon  came  in,  and  they  informed  him  of 
the  new  turn  in  the  affaire  of  the  tavern.  lie  was  much 
amused  by  their  piteous  tale,  but  managed  to  appear 
sympathetic  and  did  his  best  to  calm  thoin.  He  told 
Mrs.  Sampson  that  if  they  sent  Rose  away  she  would  be 
obliged  to  resign  her  position  as  Chairman  of  the  Cem 
etery  Improvement  Society,  and  that  her  duties  as  mis 
tress  of  such  a  flourishing  hostelry  would  be  such  as  to 
prevent  her  attending  the  social  affairs  in  town.  Joe 
was  rather  fearful,  saying,  "But,  Mr.  Glidden,  I'm 
afeerd  that  Rose  is  a  disperader  and  she  may  take  our 
Bennie  off  to  Canady  or  some  other  furrin  place." 

"Oh,  no,"  replied  Ike,  "she  is  not  so  dangerous. 
Rose  is  all  right ;  let  her  have  her  way  and  it  will  make 
it  easier  for  you ;  she  will  have  the  care  and  work,  and 
you  are  getting  now  where  ease  will  be  a  pleasure,  you 
know." 

"  Yes,  that's  so  ;  well,  Mr.  Glidden,  your  advice  is 
all  us  good.  Liza,  what  ye  think?  best  to  follow  his 
advice?  " 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Joe ;  I  s'pose  Lawyer  Glidden's 
got  the  correct  notion  of  it ;  and  bein's  we're  sort  o' 


SQUIRMTOWN   HAS  A   BOOM.  133 

riled  and  he's  cool,  why,  most  like  we'd  be  better  suited 
later  if  we  do  foller  his  advice,"  replied  Liza. 

Rose  being  within  hearing  distance  Joe  called  to  her, 
and  both  he  and  Liza  in  Ike's  presence  gave  welcome  — 
not  very  jubilantly,  to  be  sure,  but  still  it  was  welcome  — 
to  their  Bennie's  wife.     The  scene  was  very  amusing 
to  Ike  ;  Liza's  tearful  yet  resigned  embrace    and  Joe's 
manner,  too,  showing  that  while  resigned  to  the  "  dis 
grace  of  Bennie's  marriage  beneath  them,"  he  did  not 
intend  to  stoop  much  to  favor  poor  Rose.     Time,  how 
ever,  demonstrated    that    this    reconciliation    was    the 
foundation  of  the  complete  success  of  Sampson's  Tavern. 

A  traveling  salesman  named  Carson  made  a  visit  to 
Blueberry  Falls  about  once  every  three  weeks  to  solicit 
orders  from  the  numerous  grocers  there,  and  owing 
to  the  train  arrangement  and  having  only  a  few  cus 
tomers  at  the  Falls,  he  usually  planned  to  drive  from 
the  Falls  to  Squirmtown  to  spend  an  afternoon  and 
evening  of  each  trip,  and  made  his  headquarters  at  the 
tavern. 

The  table  service  and  variety  of  food  were  not  nearly 
up  to  his  idea  of  hotel  fare,  and  the  beds  were  far  from 
being  comfortable  ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  endure  it  in 
order  to  retain  the  patronage  he  enjoyed  at  that  place. 
One  day  while  his  thoughts  were  running  on  about  his 
hard  luck,  in  being  obliged  to  stop  at  such  a  hotel,  it 
occurred  to  him  that,  even  if  it  were  not  within  his 
power  to  improve  the  table,  he  might  find  a  way  in 
which  to  improve  his  bed.  The  next  time  he  went  to 
the  city  he  purchased  a  mattress  and  set  of  springs  and 
ordered  them  to  be  shipped  to  the  landlady  of  Sampson's 


134  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

Tavern,  and  then  wrote  a  letter,  presenting  to  her  with 
his  compliments  the  new  articles  he  had  purchased,  and 
asked  if  she  would  kindly  have  them  kept  in  the  room 
generally  assigned  to  him,  the  corner  room  over  the 
office.  Liza  was  both  honored  and  pleased  with  such  a 
useful  and  valuable  present  from  Mr.  Carson,  and  placed 
it  in  the  corner  room  as  he  suggested,  and  whenever  he 
came  he  occupied  that  room,  as  before,  and  found  the  bed 
very  much  more  comfortable.  Other  patrons  of  the 
house  learned  of  the  choice  bed  in  the  corner  room,  and 
made  a  practice  when  they  registered  of  demanding 
that  they  should  have  that  particular  room  ;  but  of 
com-se  no  guest  was  allowed  to  have  it  the  day  they 
expected  Mr.  Carson. 

It  is  customary  with  most  traveling  salesmen  who 
make  regular  trips  to  send  advanced  cards  to  their  cus 
tomers  and  to  the  hotels  along  the  route,  and  Mr.  Car 
son  generally  sent  one  of  his  postals  to  Sampson's  Tav 
ern,  announcing  the  date  of  his  expected  visit  to  that 
caravansary,  so  Liza  and  Joe  were  always  able  to  keep 
the  comer  room  clean  and  in  readiness  for  him.  One 
time  he  made  a  flying  trip  on  some  special  business,  and 
drove  into  the  hotel  stable  yard  in  Squirmtown  late  one 
afternoon,  unexpectedly. 

When  Bennie  saw  Mr.  Carson,  muffled  up  in  the  great 
fur  coat,  drive  into  the  stable  at  full  speed,  he  hurried 
to  the  house  to  inform  the  folks  of  his  arrival.  Liza  was 
usually  pleased  to  see  Mr.  Carson  ;  but  when  she  was  in 
formed  of  his  unexpected  arrival  she  dropped  a  pan  of 
buscuits  that  she  was  just  removing  from  the  oven,  and 
said  in  a  fit  of  excitement,  "  Good  heavens,  the  corner 


SQUIRMTOWN   HAS   A   BOOM.  135 

room  !  "  and  ran  to  the  office  door  and  sang  out  in  an 
alarming  voice,  "  Joe,  Joe,  come  here  !  "  Joe  hurried  to 
the  kitchen  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  all  this  commotion 
that  appeared  to  be  let  loose  in  that  part  of  the  house, 
and  as  the  office  door  closed  behind  him  said,  "  What 
in  the  world's  all  the  trouble?  What's  the  matter, 
Liza  ?  thought  perhaps  one  of  the  horses  might  er  kicked 
Bennie." 

"Mr.  Carson  has  come,"  said  Liza,  "and  the  minis 
ter's  got  his  room ;  yer  know  he  always  asked  for  the 
corner  room,  and  had  it  every  week  when  he's  been  up 
here,  but  yer  know  Rose  didn't  know  Mr.  Carson  was 
a-comin'  or  she  wouldn't  have  given  the  minister  the  cor 
ner  room  when  he  came." 

"  You  can  tell  Mr.  Carson,"  said  Joe  philosophically ; 
"  I  guess  he  won't  make  no  fuss  about  it,  so  long  as  it's 
tha'  minister  what's  got  the  room." 

Just  before  the  bell  rang  for  supper  Ike  drove  in,  and 
then  a  look  of  relief  came  over  Liza's  face,  as  she  felt 
that  he  would  advise  her  just  what  to  do.  Accordingly, 
she  sent  for  him ;  he  responded  to  the  request  of  the 
landlady  and  went  up  to  the  family  sitting-room,  with  a 
degree  of  curiosity  to  discover  what  she  wanted  to  see 
him  about. 

"  Am  real  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Glidden  ;  I  am  dred- 
ful  'fraid  that  I'm  in  an  awful  scrape,"  said  the  land 
lady. 

"How  is  that,  Mrs.  Sampson?  what  seems  to  be  the 
trouble  ?  "  inquired  Ike. 

She  then  told  him  about  the  present,  the  usual  de 
mand  for  the  corner  room,  the  minister  being  in  pos- 


136  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

session  of  it,  Mr.  Carson  would  be  madder'u  a  wet 
hen. 

Ike  listened  patiently,  and  iinally  said,  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  I'd  do." 

"What  will  it  be?"  she  anxiously  asked. 

"  When  the  minister  goes  up  to  the  meeting  to-night, 
you  and  Rose  take  out  the  hair  mattress  and  the  springs 
and  put  them  on  the  bed  in  whatever  room  Mr.  Carson 
is  to  have,  and  put  a  pair  of  those  squeaky,  flattened-out 
and  lop-sided  springs,  with  one  of  the  sawdust  mattresses 
in  the  place  of  them,  and  it  will  teach  him  not  to  be 
so  greedy  for  the  corner  room  when  he  comes  up  here 
next  time.  lie  ought  to  be  as  willing  to  practise  self- 
denial  as  he  is  to  preach  it,  but  then  you  never  know  a 
minister  who  was  willing  to  deny  himself  a  good,  soft, 
easy  bed." 

"  Oh,  I'm  afraid  he'd  find  it  out,"  said  she. 

"  He  never  will  mistrust ;  he  will  always  think  the 
change  was  made  before  you  assigned  him  the  room,  and 
when  he  gets  into  bed  to-night,  he'll  swear  like  a  trooper 
to  himself  for  being  so  greedy  about  getting  the  corner 
room." 

"All  right;  I'll  try  it,"  said  the  landlady,  somewhat 
less  nervous  than  before  Ike  attempted  the  joke  in  the 
matter.  After  supper  Liza  met  Mr.  Carson  in  the 
downstairs  hall,  and  explained  why  they  gave  him  room 
No.  2,  and  said,  "I'll  tell  you  how  it  is,  —  the  minister 
comes  here  every  Wednesday  to  have  prayer-meeting  in 
the  evening,  and  always  had  the  corner  room  'cause  you 
never  happened  to  come  before  on  a  Wednesday,  and  like 
all  the  rest  on  'em  what  comes,  he  insisted  on  having  the 
corner  room  because  it  had  such  a  nice  bed  in  it." 


SQUIKMTOWN   HAS   A   BOOM.  137 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,  Mrs.  Sampson,  give  me  any 
other  room  and  don't  give  yourself  any  uneasiness  about 
me.  Let  the  minister  have  the  room ;  no  doubt  he  en 
joys  a  good  bed  as  much  as  the  rest  of  us." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  shrewdly  suggested  the 
landlady,  winking  an  eye  as  if  a  brilliant  thought  had 
come  to  help  her  out  of  the  dilemma ;  "  yer  know  the 
minister'll  be  a-goin'  up  to  prayer-meetin'  by  -and  by, 
and  I'll  change  the  mattress  and  springs  and  put  them 
in  No.  2  for  you,  and  he'll  never  know  the  difference 
until  he  goes  to  bed." 

Mr.  Carson  was  so  amused  at  the  craftiness  of  the  old 
lady,  and  her  willingness  to  deceive  the  minister,  that  he 
broke  into  a  laugh,  and  could  scarcely  say,  "  Don't  do  it 
on  my  account,"  as  he  passed  out  at  the  door  to  make  a 
call  on  his  customers. 

She  managed  to  make  the  change,  and  after  the  third 
or  fourth  drummer  at  the  breakfast  table  asked  the  di 
vine  how  he  slept,  some  one  volunteered  the  information 
of  the  cunning  trick  the  landlady  had  played  on  the 
minister,  which  caused  a  great  burst  of  laughter,  and 
afforded  another  yarn  for  the  drummers  on  the  road, 
about  the  funny  things  that  happened  at  the  tavern  in 
Squiraitown. 


CHAPTER   XVIIT. 

M3SEH    WHITE. 

LAZARUS  WHITE  was  a  miser  and  possessed  a 
reputation  for  meanness  unequalled  in  the  county. 
He  lived  upon  a  farm,  and  had  been  successful  to  such 
an  extent  that  people  looked  upon  him  as  a  man  of  con 
siderable  means. 

He  loaned  money  to  the  people  in  slender  circum 
stances  throughout  the  district,  at  large  rates  of  interest, 
and  had  become  a  man  of  such  varied  business  affairs  as 
is  peculiar  to  a  country  money-lender. 

He  spent  his  days  in  work  about  the  farm,  and  the 
hours  which  others  allotted  to  repose  were  spent  by  him 
in  pursuing  claims  under  snap  mortgages,  and  his  old 
farm  wagon  might  be  heard  rattling  about  town  into  the 
late  hours  of  the  night. 

He  usually  drove  an  old  mare,  blind  of  one  eye, 
sprung  in  both  forward  legs  and  blowing  like  a  pair  of 
bellows  from  the  effects  of  a  chronic  case  of  heaves.  It 
used  to  be  said  by  the  village  joker  that  the  old  mare 
gave  Lazarus'  debtors  sufficient  warning  to  take  them 
selves  out  of  his  way  if  they  expected  a  call  from  him. 
Others  said  that  he  kept  the  old  mare  "  'cause  she 
couldn't  see  more'n  half  the  fodder  in  her  crib  and  used 
to  leave  a  lot  till  the  next  time." 

Lazarus  was  very  deaf,  but  if  anybody  along  the  road- 

138 


MISER    WHITE.  139 

side  so  much  as  whispered  "  twelve  per  cent "  the  old 
mare  would  stop  so  quickly  you'd  think  she  was  tied  to 
a  post.  She  had  been  used  by  no  one  but  Lazarus  for 
so  long  a  time  that  all  she  knew  was  "  twelve  per  cent." 
If  you  wanted  to  start  her  and  pulled  on  the  reins  she 
would  not  make  an  effort  to  move  unless  you  said 
"  twelve  per  cent,"  and  it  was  the  same  if  you  wished 
to  stop  her.  If  anybody  had  any  horses  or  cattle  to 
sell  cheap  Lazarus  might  generally  be  reckoned  as  a 
prospective  customer,  because  he  bought  on  the  short 
side  for  cash  and  sold  on  the  long  side  on  credit  at 
twelve  per  cent  interest.  Therefore  the  people  of  mod 
erate  means  in  need  of  cattle  and  horses  often  went  to 
Lazarus  and  paid  him  his  extraordinary  price  together 
with  a  usurious  rate  of  interest.  A  consignment  of 
western  horses  was  brought  to  the  village  to  be  sold  at 
auction.  In  the  number  was  a  beautiful  bay  gelding 
with  black  points,  that  was  knocked  down  to  Lazarus 
for  the  sum  of  sixty-one  dollars,  he  being  the  highest 
bidder  therefor.  Lazarus  took  the  gelding  home,  believ 
ing  that  his  new  acquisition  was  a  bargain. 

His  first  attempt  to  harness  and  drive  his  new  horse 
proved  rather  disastrous.  The  gelding  either  had  never 
been  in  harness  before  or  was  too  wild  for  carriage  use, 
for  in  their  endeavor  to  train  him  he  reared  and  stood 
on  his  hind  legs,  then  pawed  with  his  forward  feet,  and 
with  the  force  of  a  cyclone  sent  his  hind  feet  through 
Lazarus'  wagon  dasher.  A  further  attempt  was  made 
to  reconcile  the  gelding  to  the  customs  of  a  driving 
horse,  but  when  he  started  on  a  run  and  did  not  stop 
until  he  had  crossed  the  field  and  became  entangled 


140  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

with  trees  at  the  edge  of  the  woods,  every  hope  of  ever 
being  able  to  tame  hiui  was  abandoned  and  he  was 
turned  out  to  pasture. 

Lazarus  gave  a  home  to  Jimmy  Hope,  his  step 
daughter's  son  ;  that  is,  he  allowed  the  boy  to  remain 
with  him  under  the  pretence  of  extending  a  charity  to  an 
orphan.  Jimmy  was  provided  with  a  bed  in  the  dingy 
garret  of  the  farm  house,  and  was  expected  to  do  the 
drudgery  of  the  barn  work  and  be  a  slave  in  the  field. 
In  his  rough  chamber  there  was  indeed  nothing  to  add 
cheerfulness  or  make  the  place  resemble  a  boy's  home. 
In  one  corner  was  stored  the  usual  refuse  of  a  farm 
house,  and  in  another  corner  was  poor  Jimmy's  bed, 
covered  by  a  much  worn  patchwork  quilt,  and  the  only 
light  was  gained  through  a  tiny  window,  scarcely  large 
enough  to  even  ventilate  the  room  during  the  warm 
summer  nights. 

Jimmy,  who  had  been  taught  to  call  the  old  man 
grandpa,  was  obliged  to  remain  in  the  field  all  day  to 
assist  in  the  lighter  labors  of  the  farm  ;  to  milk  and  care 
for  the  cows,  and  to  sit  up  at  night  and  await  the  return 
of  the  old  man  from  his  trips  to  town  and  unharness  and 
groom  the  old  mare. 

During  the  experiences  with  the  wild  gelding  in  try 
ing  to  break  him  to  harness,  Jimmy  met  with  an  acci 
dent  that  injured  his  arm  and  disabled  him  for  perform 
ing  manual  labor.  He  was  like  many  other  boys  when 
not  at  work,  usually  contriving  some  boyish  amusement. 
One  day  while  the  men  were  engaged  in  the  field  hay 
ing,  Jimmy  hung  a  rope  for  a  swing  in  the  big  barn 
doors,  and  was  enjoying  himself  in  it  when  Lazarus  and 


MISER   WHITE.  141 

his  two  hired  men  came  to  the  house  to  dinner.  Jimmy 
had  provided  wood  and  water  for  the  kitchen,  and  cred 
itably  performed  all  the  chores  to  be  done  about  the 
premises,  and  was,  in  fact,  simply  taking  a  quiet  rest  in 
his  swing  when  the  old  man  saw  him. 

"  Who  put  up  that  'ere  swing  ?  Can't  yer  find  nuthin' 
else  ter  do  round  here  but  cut  up  capers  like  this? 
'Cause  yer  arm's  lame  and  yer  can't  work  in  the  field 
think  yer  goin'  ter  spend  ther  rest  yer  life  in  luxury  and 
ease." 

"  I've  done  all  the  chores,  grandpa.  Didn't  think, 
'twould  be  no  harm  me  puttin'  up  this  swing  for  passin' 
away  time." 

"  You've  passed  away  too  much  o'  yer  time  foolin' 
like  this ;  think  it's  'bout  time  yer  began  ter  earn  some- 
thin'  to  pay  yer  keep.  There's  them  girls  down  to  the 
village  earnin'  more'n  their  board  in  ther  bottlin'  works, 
and  you  ought  ter  be  able  to  earn  as  much  as  a  girl ;  so 
you  can  go  to  Deacon  Squirm's  'safternoon  and  tell  him 
I  sent  yer  down  fer  a  job. 

"  Who'll  take  care  of  the  cows,  grandpa,  if  I  do  get  a 
job  in  the  bottlin'  works  ?  " 

"  Who  d'yer  s'pose  ?  can't  yer  milk  them  cows  'fore 
six  o'clock  in  ther  morniii'  ?  When  I  was  a  boy  that 
'der  been  only  play  fer  me." 

That  afternoon  Jimmy  saw  Deacon  Squirm  and  se 
cured  such  a  position  as  a  person  with  a  lame  arm  might 
fulfil.  The  deacon  promised  to  give  him  a  chance  to 
wait  on  the  girls  in  the  labeling  room.  The  next  morn 
ing  Jimmy  commenced  his  duties  at  the  bottling  works, 
lie  was  such  a  genial,  obliging  and  good  boy  that  he 


142  IKE    GLIDUEN    IN    MAINE. 

soon  became  a  favorite.  His  popularity  had  a  tendency 
to  draw  him  into  the  graces  of  those  engaged  in  the 
harmless  mischief  in  which  a  crowd  of  young  people  are 
so  apt  to  be  concerned,  and  he  was  frequently  responsi 
ble  for  such  pranks.  On  two  different  occasions  he  was 
included  with  a  number  that  were  discharged.  Such 
dismissals  were  necessary  in  order  to  maintain  disci 
pline,  and  those  discharged  were  usually  reinstalled 
after  a  few  days'  idleness. 

One  morning  Dennis  Bogan  called  at  the  bottling 
works  to  see  Deacon  Squirm,  and  while  engaged  in  con 
versation  the  deacon  with  a  worried  look  upon  his 
countenance  broke  out  in  a  loud  voice,  "  That  Brown 
girl  is  the  noisiest  imp  I  ever  saw,  an'  mischevious  too. 
I  don't  know  what  to  do  with  her.  My  wife  couldn't 
do  anything  with  her  at  the  house,  'cause  she  wouldn't 
more'n  half  wash  the  dishes,  so  she  sent  her  out  here  to 
the  bottlin'  shop  ter  help  me.  I  don't  know  what  to  do 
with  her.  She's  a-destroyin'  evert  bit  o'  disceeplin 
among  the  girls,  and  we  must  get  rid  of  her  in  order  ter 
save  the  crew  from  total  deemolashun.  I  hate  ter  dis 
charge  her,  for  she  is  such  a  happy,  innocent-looking  gal, 
and  then,  too,  she  can  fill  more  bottles  than  any  two  o' 
the  other  gals.  I  reely  don't  know  what  ter  do." 

"  Be  aisy  with  the  child,"  said  Dennis  ;  "  she'll  quiet 
down  afther  a  while." 

Before  Dennis  had  ceased  to  speak  an  uproar  arose  in 
the  labeling  room.  A  door  was  flung  noisily  open,  and 
a  half-grown  boy  fell  forward  on  the  floor  at  Deacon 
Squirm's  feet,  amid  a  shower  of  printed  labels  which  fell 
from  a  basket  tied  to  his  overalls.  "  It  was  Katy 


MISEK   WHITE.  143 

Brown,"  said  the  boy  half  dazed.  "  She  did  it  while  I 
had  my  eyes  shut,  and  she  set  me  a-spinnin'  afore  I 
knew  it." 

The  deacon  entered  the  room  from  whence  the  uproar 
came  and  a  deep  hush  ensued.  "  Katy  Brown,"  he  said, 
"you  go  to  your  own  home,  and  don't  show  up  here 
again  ;  and  you,  Jimmy  Hope,  you  idiot,  think  you'd 
better  get  a  chance  to  hoe  potatoes  and  pray  for  wit." 

Five  minutes  afterwards  a  girl  with  frowsy  tow  hair, 
ragged  indigo-blue  dress  and  sailor  hat,  went  away  from 
the  bottling  works  with  her  head  bent  low  and  great 
choking  sobs  breaking  forth  with  every  step  she  took. 
She  was  followed  by  the  boy,  his  head  likewise  bowed 
in  grief,  and  his  great  gawky  limbs  mournfully  wobbling 
his  way  to  idleness. 

At  a  turn  in  the  road  the  girl  faced  about  to  take  a 
last  look  at  the  bottling  works  of  Deacon  Squirm.  The 
tears  were  streaming  down  her  cheeks,  but  her  face  was 
a  picture  to  inspire  a  painter.  It  was  a  beautiful  face, 
though  tear-stained  and  grimy  and  fringed  with  teasing 
tow.  She  was  yet  but  a  child,  but  for  some  months  her 
earnings  had  been  her  only  guarantee  of  support  for  her 
self  and  her  invalid  mother,  who  remained  helpless  at 
home  in  the  little  cottage  on  the  hillside.  She  was  go 
ing  home  now  to  tell  her  poverty-stricken  and  invalid 
mother  that  she  had  lost  her  employment  and  that 
hunger  stared  them  in  the  face.  And  all  through  a 
careless  little  joke  on  that  foolish  Jimmy  Hope.  The 
tears  came  like  a  June  torrent  at  the  thought,  and  then 
Jimmy's  bulky  form  interrupted  the  flow  of  misery  as  he 
blindly  tumbled  against  the  tearful  Katy. 


144  IRE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

Quick  as  a  flash  Katy  recoiled  and  dealt  the  lumber 
ing  boy  a  resounding  slap,  followed  by  a  quick  push, 
which  knocked  Jimmy  heavily  to  the  ground.  "Take 
that,  you  fool,"  said  Katy,  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
wreak  some  revenge  on  one  of  the  causes  of  her  misery  ; 
but  poor  Jimmy  did  not  rise.  She  became  alarmed  and 
bent  over  him.  His  head  had  struck  a  rock  and  he  was 
unconscious. 

"  Oh,  poor  Jimmy  !  poor  Jimmy  I  wake  up  ;  I'm  sorry, 
Jimmy ;  really  I  am.  Do  wake  up,"  cried  the  girl,  and 
hastily  wetting  the  edge  of  her  dress  in  a  pool  by  the 
roadside  she  placed  Jimmy's  head  on  her  lap  and  began 
wiping  the  blood  and  dirt  from  his  face.  Then  Jimmy 
sighed,  and  Katy  kissed  his  homely  mouth,  and  Jimmy 
opened  his  eyes  and  jumped  to  his  feet.  "  My  gracious, 
Katy  1  I  didn't  think  you'd  kiss  me.  Deuce  it  all  I  I 
was  mad  with  you  for  gettin'  me  fired,  but  if  I'd  know'd 
you'd  kiss  me  again  I  would's  leave  git  fired  and 
knocked  down  again  —  What  yer  goin'  ter  do,  Katy?" 

"Dunno,  Jimmy;  what  are  you?" 

"  Dunno,  Katy  ;  grandpa  swore  he  wouldn't  take  me 
in  if  I  got  discharged  again.  I  don't  see  nothin'  but 
tramp ;  if  it  wasn't  fer  me  lame  arm  I'd  go  ter  sea. 
What'll  yer  poor  ma  do?" 

"  I  dunno,  Jim ;  oh,  I  dunno  what'll  become  of  us  all," 
and  then  both  wept  together.  "  Well,"  said  Jim  at 
length,  "  less  brace  up,  Katy,  and  go  down  to  your  house 
till  I  tell  yer  ma  how  it  was  I  caused  the  trouble." 

"  No,  you  won'y,  Jimmy  ;  but  you  can  come  and  hear 
me  tell  the  truth,"  and  they  went  down  to  Widow 
Brown's  together.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  accept 


MISER   WHITE.  145 

what  fate  had  sent,  and  poor  Widow  Brown  had  passed 
through  many  trials  in  her  life,  so  many  that  nothing 
now  caused  her  to  show  any  outward  symptoms  of  men 
tal  distress. 

Jimmy  and  Katy  parted  in  the  yard.  "  I  hope  your 
grandpa' 11  treat  you  good,"  said  Katy.  I'm  goin'  ter 
make  a  bathin'  suit  and  go  down  and  swim  below  the 
point.  Folks  thinks  it's  too  early,  but  I  don't  care. 
Come  down  and  see  us,  Jimmy,  and  I  won't  plague  you 
any  more." 

Then  Jimmy  wended  his  way  homeward  and  went  up 
to  the  garret  room  of  his  grandpa's  house,  where  he  had 
been  allowed  to  live  since  his  mother  died. 

"  Lost  your  job,  have  you?  Well,  get  out ;  that's  all. 
Git !  I  don't  want  no  more  to  do  with  you."  That  was 
the  miser's  greeting  to  the  boy. 

"But  won't  you  give  me  a  little  of  the  money  I've 
earned,  to  take  me  to  Bar  Harbor  ?  I  can  get  work 
there." 

"  No,  not  a  cent.  I've  let  you  live  on  me  long  enough. 
It  wasn't  enough  for  your  sickly,  no-'count  mother  to 
waste  my  grub  and  money  in  idleness  till  she  had  to 
fasten  you  outer  me  after  costing  me  funeral  expenses 
and  doctors'  bills." 

"  Stop !  "  said  the  boy,  "  old  Miser  White,  as  the 
folks  call  you,  don't  you  dare  say  a  word  agin  my  mother, 
or  I'll  run  your  foul  old  tongue  out  of  your  head.  I'll 
come  back  some  time  and  make  you  sorry  for  what  you 
said,  as  it  is." 

"  Come  back  here,  Jim.  I  don't  want  you  to  go  that 
way,"  said  the  old  man,  a  sudden  change  coming  over 
him. 


146  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

"  Mercy  on  me !  but  he  looked  like  his  father,  and 
Darius  Hope  was  a  likely  fellow.  Come  back,  Jim, 
do!" 

"  When  I  come  back,  old  Miser  White,  you'll  wish  I 
staid  away,"  sung  out  Jim,  as  he  reached  the  road  and 
started  for  the  village. 

"  Ole  man's  ugly,  eh?  "  asked  Ace  Bragdon,  the  vil 
lage  vagabond,  ambling  out  of  the  woods  a  few  rods  on. 
"  'Pears  like  you  hain't  been  yoking  up  well." 

"  I'll  never  go  back  to  live  with  him  again,  that's  cer 
tain,"  said  Jim. 

"  Oughter  laid  round  and  grubbed  some  of  his  dough, 
though,  'fore  you'd  let  him  turn  you  out  that  way.  I 
s'pose  he  has  a  few  dollars  tying  hid  'round  the  house  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Jimmy.  "  The  old  curmud 
geon's  too  mean  to  trust  a  bank." 

"  Where  you  goin'  ?  "  asked  Ace. 

"  I'm  going  down  town  to  see  if  I  can  git  a  chance  to 
ship  as  cook." 

"  Good  idea,"  said  Ace.  "  You  jest  go  take  a  day  off 
somewheres  and  enjoy  yourself,  and  to-morrow  Cap'n 
Bill  Freebit'll  be  in  with  some  fish,  and  I'll  guarantee  to 
get  him  to  take  you  to  Grand  Menan  with  him." 

"It's  a  whack,"  said  Jim. 

Take  a  day  off!  Why,  where  could  Jim  spend  a 
day?  He  wandered  down  to  Widow  Brown's.  She 
cried,  poor  thing,  when  she  heard  his  story.  She 
couldn't  cry  over  her  own  grief,  but  Jim's  sad  story 
touched  the  fountain-head  and  she  wept  silently.  Jirn's 
parents  had  been  her  dear  friends  in  the  good  old  days 
when  health  and  strength  made  them  all  the  wealthiest 


MISER   WHITE.  147 

and  happiest  people  living.  Katy  was  out.  Her  mother 
said  she  had  gone  down  to  the  shore  to  look  for  drift 
wood. 

Jim  went  back  to  the  woods,  sat  on  a  sunny  krioll 
and  listened  to  the  dreamy  music  of  the  wood  birds. 
They  seemed  to  sing  of  sorrow  and  of  pain,  of  homeless- 
ness  and  hopelessness  ;  then  the  songs  became  softer, 
drearier,  and  the  sun  went  down,  the  stars  came  out  and 
Jim  slept. 

The  next  morning  the  village  was  astir  with  a  report 
that  Jimmy  Hope  had  treated  his  grandfather  in  a  brutal 
manner,  and  then  robbed  him  of  all  the  money  and 
bonds  in  his  possession.  Men  were  gathered  in  groups 
discussing  the  crime,  and  great  excitement  prevailed. 
The  rumor  was  to  the  effect  that  the  boy  in  the  night 
time  had  battered  and  bruised  the  old  man  until  he  left 
him  for  dead,  and  then  stole  all  his  valuables. 

The  whole  community  was  disturbed  over  the  matter, 
but  the  sensation  reached  its  climax  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  forenoon,  when  Jimmy,  apparently  unconcerned  and 
as  innocently  as  a  child,  strolled  down  to  Hall's  wharf. 
He  saw  a  crowd,  headed  by  Sile  Lombard,  the  village 
constable,  hurrying  toward  him.  "  Grab  him,  boys  !  " 
exclaimed  Sile  as  they  got  Avithin  speaking  distance  of 
Jimmy.  The  crowd  began  to  hoot,  "  Robber  !  robber  ! 
almost  killed  yer  grandfather,  didn't  yer?"  The  con 
stable  rushed  upon  him,  and  another  large,  burly  man 
jumped  upon  his  back.  "  Now  we've  got  yer.  Hold 
up  yer  hands  !  "  said  the  constable. 

"  It  isn't  necessary  to  handcuff  me,  Mr.  Lombard.  If 
you  think  it  is  your  duty  to  arrest  me,  you  won't  need 


148  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

any  help.  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  the  boy  with  fear 
and  trembling. 

"  Hold  up  yer  hands  and  do  as  I  tell  yer,"  said  the 
constable,  as  he  snapped  the  iron  bracelets  upon  him. 

Swelling  with  indignation  at  the  harsh  manner  in 
which  he  was  being  treated,  but  helpless  unless  he  im 
periled  the  safety  of  his  life,  he  yielded  to  the  hand 
cuffs.  As  they  were  marching  him  up  to  the  village, 
the  constable  and  assistant  holding  revolvers  to  his  head, 
Jimmy  gathered  sufficient  courage  to  again  ask  the 
cause  of  such  treatment,  and  was  informed  of  the  nature 
of  the  charge  against  him.  When  he  heard  that  he  was 
accused  of  being  guilty  of  such  an  atrocious  act  his  face 
turned  white  with  wrath,  his  eyes  blazed,  and  he  almost 
fainted. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  village  the  news  of  the 
arrest  had  spread  broadcast,  and  a  greater  number  gath 
ered  around  him. 

The  mutterings  of  the  crowd  rose  to  shouts,  fists  were 
shaken  at  the  whitefaced  and  handcuffed  prisoner,  and 
men  spat  upon  him  in  rage.  Not  a  friendly  or  sympa 
thetic  face  did  Jimmy  see,  and  he  keenly  felt  the  morti 
fication  of  his  predicament ;  but  there  was  something 
that  yet  relieved  him  from  anxiety  of  what  the  end 
would  be,  because  the  arrest  had  been  too  preposterous. 
However,  an  occasional  cry  of  "  Lynch  him  1  lynch 
him !  "  from  some  member  of  the  infuriated  mob,  was 
enough  to  make  the  boy  feel  some  little  relief  when  he 
had  been  pushed  into  the  village  lockup  and  the  heavy 
door  closed  upon  him. 

"  Good  thing  he  didn't  have  no  revolver,  boys,  or  we 


MISER   WHITE.  149 

wouldn't  'er  got  him  without  some  blood  bein'  spilt," 
said  the  constable,  swelling  with  self-confidence  and  de 
light  at  his  success  in  having  taken  the  boy  into  cus 
tody. 

"  Yes,  sirree,"  responded  another,  "  he's  a  bad  one, 
an'  anybody  that'd  almost  murder  an  ole  man  'ud  do 
anything." 

When  the  crowd  about  the  lockup  began  to  disperse 
the  boy  sat  down  and  commenced  to  pull  himself  to 
gether,  and  more  seriously  than  before  faced  the  condi 
tions. 

He  was  arrested,  and  yet  it  was  hard  for  him  to  make 
it  seem  real.  "  But  I  am  either  the  victim  of  circum 
stances  or  the  subject  of  some  one's  revenge,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "  and  it  seems  hard  if  somebody  will  not  even 
listen  to  me.  Wonder  if  Lawyer  Glidden  is  agin  me 
too  ?"  he  said  to  himself. 

During  this  trying  time  it  was  true  there  seemed  to 
be  no  one  at  all  interested  in  the  maintenance  of  the 
boy's  innocence,  with  the  exception  of  Katy  Brown,  who 
was  too  much  embarrassed  to  venture  where  the  crowd 
jould  see  her  tears.  However,  with  tears  in  her  eyes 
jhe  besought  Dennis  Bogan  to  secure  Lawyer  Glidden 
io  defend  Jimmy.  At  that  time  even  the  kind-hearted 
Dennis  seemed  to  believe  that  the  boy  was  guilty  ;  but 
her  pathetic  words  and  sincere  manner  somewhat  touched 
his  heart,  and  he  assured  her  that  he  immediately  would 
see  the  lawyer.  From  that  time  forth  Dennis  gave  ear 
nest  attention  to  securing  counsel  for  the  boy. 

Dennis  told  the  lawyer  about  Katy's  interest  in  the 
boy  and  in  the  end  said,  "  See  here,  lawyer,  I  b'lieve 


150  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

mesilf  now  that  the  little  fellow's  innocent  and  you  do 
too,  don't  you? " 

"  While  he  may  have  been  a  mischievous  boy,"  said 
Ike,  "  I  certainly  do  not  think  him  capable  of  such  a 
desperate  deed.  The  circumstances  lead  me  to  believe 
it  is  the  plot  of  some  person  whose  villainous  instincts 
are  more  mature  than  is  possible  to  find  in  one  so  young 
as  this  boy.  It  will  be  hard  to  contend  with  the  indig 
nation  that  exists ;  but  I  assure  you,  Dennis,  that  I  will 
do  my  best  to  defend  the  boy,  because  I  do  believe  him 
innocent." 

Ike  went  down  to  the  lockup,  and  said  to  the  pris 
oner,  "  Jimmy,  Katy  Brown  has  engaged  me  to  defend 
you.  What  is  the  story?" 

The  boy  had  been  thinking  of  securing  counsel,  and 
the  manner  in  which  he  might  be  able  to  do  so  was  a 
matter  that  worried  him ;  but  the  fact  that  he  actually 
had  counsel,  secured  by  his  friend  Katy  Brown,  brought 
a  ray  of  unexpected  sunshine  to  him  in  the  midst  of  his 
melancholy  moments. 

"  The  story  !  "  responded  Jimmy.  "  I  don't  know, 
'cause  there  hain't  none.  All  there  is  to  it,  I'm  not 
guilty,  and  don't  know  nothin'  'bout  it." 

"  Well,  I  don't  believe  that  you  are,  my  boy.  But 
these  hot-headed  people  have  blundered,  and  we'll  have 
to  prepare  for  the  trial." 

When  the  client  left  Ike  looked  puzzled,  because  the 
circumstances  were  very  dangerous  and  suspicion  rested 
heavily  upon  the  boy.  Then  there  was  so  little  time  to 
investigate  the  case,  as  an  examination  was  to  be  held 
within  half  an  hour  in  the  magistrate's  court. 


MISER   WHITE.  151 

But  he  was  possessed  of  a  world  of  sympathy  for  any 
mischievous  boy,  for  during  his  own  boyhood  days  he 
had  been  harshly  criticised  for  his  pranks,  and  often 
when  not  at  fault  he  was  held  accountable  for  the  mali 
cious  tricks  of  others.  He  always  maintained  that  be 
cause  a  boy  was  mischievous  it  did  not  necessarily  fol 
low  that  he  was  a  bad  boy,  and  until  good  substantial 
evidence  was  shown,  generally  questioned  the  guilt  of 
any  lad  accused  of  a  wrong  act.  At  no  time  was  his 
kindness  more  apparent  than  when  an  appeal  was  made 
to  him  to  defend  Jimmy  Hope,  who  was  charged  with 
robbery.  While  the  charge  against  him  was  rather 
more  serious  than  the  usual  prank  of  a  heedless  boy,  he 
felt  that  there  were  circumstances  of  an  extenuating 
nature,  and  had  readily  promised  to  plead  the  boy's 
cause,  notwithstanding  there  was  no  prospect  of  his 
ever  receiving  any  remuneration  for  his  services. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE    SMUGGLER. 

,4  HEARING  hi  the  case  of  Jimmy  Hope  was  held 
J~\  before  Magistrate  Blunt ;  and  Lawyer  Bombshell, 
the  prosecuting  attorney  for  the  county,  came  from  a 
neighboring  town  to  represent  the  State. 

At  the  trial  the  attorney  for  the  prosecution  told  the 
story,  as  it  appeared  to  him,  —  how  Jimmy,  after  having 
been  nursed  and  fed  by  the  poor  old  man,  came  home 
the  day  before,  as  he  had  on  many  previous  occasions, 
with  the  news  that  he  had  been  discharged  from  his 
place  of  employment ;  how,  when  chidt'd  by  the  poor 
old  man  for  his  evil  conduct,  he  turned  upon  him  with 
threats,  and  at  night,  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  he 
had  crept  stealthily  to  the  bedside  of  his  benefactor  and 
dealt  him  pitiless  and  painful  blows  with  murderous  in 
tent,  and  then,  thinking  his  victim  dead,  he  ransacked 
the  house  and  took  away  with  him  all  the  money  to  be 
found. 

As  he  proceeded  Jimmy  gradually  grew  paler,  ami 
finally  collapsed  in  his  chair  beside  the  constable. 
Jimmy  was  revived,  and  the  first  witness,  Ace  Bragdon, 
was  called.  Ace  hung  his  head  sluggishly,  and  told  of 
the  conversation  he  had  overheard  between  Jimmy  and 
his  grandfather.  He  said  during  the  night  lie  looked 
out  of  his  window,  and  thought  he  saw  Jimmy  sneaking 

152 


THE    SMUGGLER.  153 

along  the  road  toward  the  village  with  a  bag.  Captain 
Freebit  of  Grand  Menan  was  the  second  witness.  He 
was  there  with  a  small  vessel,  containing  a  cargo  of 
fresh  fish  to  be  disposed  of  among  the  inhabitants.  He 
claimed  to  be  a  relative  of  Asa  Bragdon,  whom  he 
visited  during  his  stay,  and  that  about  low  water,  at 
half-past  twelve  o'clock,  midnight,  he  felt  somewhat  un 
easy  about  his  craft  listing  outward,  and  got  up  and 
went  down  to  Hall's  wharf,  where  his  vessel  was  an 
chored. 

On  his  way  to  the  wharf  he  had  met  a  young  man 
carrying  a  bag.  Thought  the  young  man  might  have 
been  the  prisoner.  Sile  Lombard  testified  to  arresting 
Jimmy  on  Hall's  wharf,  suspecting  that  he  was  getting 
ready  to  get  into  a  boat  to  row  down  river. 

Court  adjourned  at  noon  until  after  the  dinner  hour. 

The  people  of  the  district  were  indignant  and  declared 
that  such  a  culprit  never  before  existed,  and  especially 
severe  in  his  condemnation  was  the  town  vagabond,  Asa 
Bragdon.  Asa's  parboiled  face  was  a  study.  His  coun 
tenance  was  bubbling  over  with  suppressed  emotion,  in 
which  one  might  imagine  that  pleasure,  fear  and  horror 
struggled  for  the  mastery. 

"  lie  ought  ter  be  lynched  by  right,"  said  Asa. 

"  That's  wot  he  had,"  agreed  Captain  Freebit. 

"  Let's  wait  until  we  see  how  the  old  man  comes  out," 
suggested  another ;  "  if  he  dies  we'll  lynch  him  sure." 

After  the  dinner  recess  Lawyer  Glidden  called  his 
client  aside  in  the  court-room,  and  said  to  him  in  a  low 
voice,  "  Jimmy,  I  have  already  seen  enough  of  these 
witnesses  to  satisfy  me  that  you  are  an  innocent  boy. 


154  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

You  are  the  victim  of  a  plot.  This  case  will  develop  it 
self,  but  it  may  take  time,  perhaps  weeks,  possibly 
months  ;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  in  time  you  will  be  vin 
dicated.  I  cannot  offer  any  defence  here  to-day  ;  'tis  too 
soon  for  you  to  try  to  unravel  the  flimsy  chain  of  cir 
cumstantial  evidence  that  they  have  wound  around  you. 
You  will  probably  be  held  for  the  higher  court  by  Squire 
Blunt,  but  don't  worry  over  it.  This  case  will  be  thor 
oughly  investigated  before  the  session  of  the  high  court 
opens,  and  there  will  be  a  new  picture  to  show  the  peo 
ple  about  that  robbery.  I  have  already  seen  enough  to 
enable  me  to  pick  out  the  guilty  parties.  I  believe  that 
you  are  innocent,  and  I  will  stand  by  you  until  I  see 
you  set  free." 

Then  Lawyer  Glidden  arose  and  stated  to  the  magis 
trate  that  it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  present  a  plau 
sible  defence  at  that  time,  and  it  would  be  for  the  inter 
ests  of  his  client  to  waive  the  right  to  offer  a  defence  at 
the  preliminary  hearing.  He  also  stated  that  the  short 
space  of  time  in  which  he  had  been  allowed  to  prepare 
such  an  important  case  was  insufficient,  and  that  he 
would  withhold  the  evidence  in  defence  of  the  prisoner 
until  the  session  of  the  Supreme  Court.  The  magistrate 
of  course  ordered  Jimmy  sent  to  jail  to  await  the  sitting 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  unless  he  could  furnish  a  large 
bond  for  his  appearance  there.  To  secure  a  bond  for 
Jimmy  when  such  wrath  existed  against  him  would  be 
an  utter  impossibility.  He  was  removed  to  the  lockup, 
behind  the  doors  of  the  village  prison,  and  watched  by 
an  armed  guard. 

The  day  before  the  trial  Katy  Brown  had  seen  Captain 


THE    SMUGGLER.  155 

Freebit's  craft  sailing  up  the  river,  and  was  at  the  whari' 
while  the  few  fish  that  comprised  the  cargo  were  being 
landed.  There  was  something  mysterious  in  the  man 
ner  of  Asa  Bragdon  and  Captain  Freebit  when  they  saw 
her  approaching  the  wharf.  This  wharf  was  practically 
abandoned  for  commercial  purposes,  and  stands  out  on 
the  river  shore,  some  distance  below  the  village.  There 
was  something  peculiar  about  the  affair  that  attracted 
her  attention,  and  yet,  she  could  not  understand  it,  it 
certainly  had  aroused  her  curiosity.  The  stranger  with 
Ace  Bragdon  did  not  present  a  very  respectable  appear 
ance. 

"  What  is  he,  a  smuggler?  "  she  said  to  herself.  She 
told  her  mother  about  their  strange  movements,  and 
while  she  was  full  of  curiosity  to  trace  the  movements 
of  the  strange  seamen,  she  did  not  even  dream  of  inform 
ing  the  Government  officials  if  the  captain  should  prove 
to  be  a  smuggler. 

She  had  been  alternating  all  day  between  her  home 
and  the  wharf,  where  she  could  give  vent  to  her  tears 
for  poor  Jimmy  in  his  unfortunate  predicament. 

When  she  heard  of  the  result  of  the  trial,  and  that 
Ace  Bragdon  and  a  strange  captain  claimed  to  know 
that  Jimmy  was  guilty,  and  that  their  testimony  was 
conclusive  evidence  of  his  guilt,  a  spirit  of  revenge  came 
over  her.  She  burst  out  in  tears  again,  and  said,  "  That 
man's  a  smuggler;  I  knew  he  was  not  an  honest  man. 
I'll  watch  him  until  he  leaves  the  river,  and,  if  possible, 
I'm  going  to  have  his  craft  searched,  for  I  can  see 
through  his  mysterious  movements  now.  He's  a  smug 
gler  and  has  brought  some  contraband  goods  here."  Her 


156  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

interest  in  the  mysterious  captain  from  that  moment  was 
unbounded. 

She  kept  a  close  vigil  on  his  craft,  and  at  about  the  sup 
per  hour  when  the  tide  was  at  its  fulness,  she  saw  the 
captain  and  Asa  when  they  went  to  the  wharf  and  with 
a  small  boat  proceeded  to  row  to  the  schooner  at  anchor. 

"  I'm  goin'  up  ter  Lawyer  Glidden's  and  get  him  ter 
come  down  and  search  that  vessel ;  p'raps  he'll  find  some 
trace  of  whatever  kind  of  goods  been  smuggled  in,  and 
then  they  can  be  traced  somewhere  until  we  find  out 
who  is  layin'  in  with  the  smuggler  and  helpin'  him  get 
rid  of  his  smuggled  things  over  round  lie  re." 

She  did  not  even  take  the  time  necessary  to  acquaint 
her  mother  with  the  course  she  had  resolved  upon,  but 
went  directly  to  the  lawyer's  office.  Without  prefacing 
her  remarks  with  a  story  of  particulars  she  made  the 
startling  announcement  as  she  hastily  entered  the  office, 
"  There's  a  smuggler  down  here ;  come  search  his  vessel." 

"What  are  the  facts?  tell  me  about  it,"  anxiously  in 
quired  Ike. 

"  I  don't  know.  Don't  you  care  to  search  a  suspicious 
captain's  craft?"  said  Katy. 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  let  me  know  the  details." 

"  The  details  are  little  enough,  and  chiefly  based  upon 
suspicion  ;  ain't  that  enough  to  search  him,  suspicion 
what  makes  me  feel  sure  we've  got  a  smuggler,"  said 
Katy. 

"  Successful  smugglers  as  a  rule  are  a  set  of  brainy 
fellows,  and  it  is  true  we  scarcely  ever  have  a  certainty 
to  work  from,  and  have  to  start  a  case  on  merely  a  sus 
picion  ;  but  won't  you  please  give  me  the  facts,  and  then 


THE    SMUGGLER.  157 

I'll  see  how  much  suspicion  I  can  see  in  them.  If  you 
would  only  tell  me  something  I  would  have  the  man 
watched,"  continued  Ike. 

"  Oh,  there's  no  need  o'  watchin'  him,  for  I've  been 
doin'  that.  You've  a  right,  haven't  you,  Lawyer  Glid- 
den,  to  search  a  place  where  there's  supposed  to  be 
things  what  the  duties  never  was  paid  on  ?  " 

"  Certain  officials  have  such  a  right,  but  I  don't  know 
as  I  have  that  authority." 

"  Well,  get  the  constable  and  come  with  me,  and  I'll 
warrant  you'll  find  enough  suspicion  to  make  a  search, 
and  I  know  if  you'll  make  a  search  you'll  find  some  contra 
band  goods.  He's  gettin'  ready  to  go  out  of  the  river, 
and  if  yer  want  him  yer  must  come  at  once." 

Ike  acted  upon  this  last  suggestion  and  solicited  Con 
stable  Sile  Lombard  to  assist  him  in  searching  for  foreign 
goods  and  wares.  On  the  way  down  Katy  related  the 
facts  upon  which  her  suspicion  had  been  based,  facts  so 
convincing  that  even  if  he  was  not  an  authorized  Gov- 
vernment  official,  he  resolved  to  take  the  liberty  to  ex 
amine  into  such  a  mysterious  case  of  apparent  violation 
of  the  federal  law. 

"  Wonder  what  'tis  he's  a-smugglin',  p'raps  it's  opium 
or  something  o'  that  kind.  Small  packages,  drugs,  I'll 
bet.  Of  course  there's  some  one  here  in  league  with 
him  that  forwards  the  stuff  to  New  York.  He's  only 
an  old  fisherman  in  the  employ  of  some  professional 
smuggler.  There's  been  lots  of  complaints  lately  about 
smuggling  'cause  they  claim  that  the  stuffs  a-comin'  in 
all  along  the  shore  and  then  is  sent  out  on  the  railroad." 

Ike  and  Sile  went  out  to  the  small  vessel  and  climbed 


158  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

on  board.  "  Prutty  good  thing,  Sile,  that  Cap'n  Freebit 
and  I  saw  that  scamp  on  the  road  last  night  or  you 
would  had  no  evidence  ter  held  him  on,''  said  Asa,  with 
a  look  of  fear  and  anxiety  on  his  face. 

"  That's  so,  Ace,  but  don't  want  yer  ter  go  'way  ;  may 
need  yer  again  ter-morrer  if  there's  a  trial,  said  Sile." 

"'Nother  trial  ter-morrer?  " 

"  Shouldn't  wonder." 

"  Got  'nother  case  agin  that  villain  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  but  maybe." 

While  Sile  was  engaged  in  conversation  with  Asa,  Ike 
commenced  a  search.  The  captain  and  Asa  began  to 
show  considerable  nervousness,  and  no  satisfaction  was 
given  to  their  inquiries  about  the  object  of  the  proceed 
ings.  Ike  was  conducting  the  search  in  a  systematic 
manner ;  opened,  probed  into,  and  examined  every  hole, 
crevice  and  space  available  for  secreting  small  packages, 
and  when  about  to  abandon  a  further  hunt,  reached  for 
a  rope  that  ran  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  and  into  the 
water.  He  pulled  on  the  rope;  it  was  too  light  for  an 
anchor  or  anything  of  that  sort ;  he  continued  to  pull, 
and  on  the  end  of  the  rope  was  fastened  a  bundle  tied 
and  wound  up  in  a  rubber  blanket. 

"  Smuggled  goods,  by  jinks  !  "  cried  Ike.  "  Knew 
you  were  a  smuggler;  Sile,  you  arrest  both  of  *em." 

"I  hain't  no  smuggler;  can't  connect  me  with  no 
smugglin' ;  hadn't  ought  ter  'rrest  me,"  cried  Asa. 

"  Well,  Sile,  you  take  care  of  the  captain,  and  I'll  take 
care  of  this  package  of  opium  ;  I  know  it  must  be  some 
thing  of  that  kind,"  said  Ike. 

They  rowed  ashore,  the  lawyer  taking  care  of  the  wet 


THE    SMUGGLER.  159 

and  dripping  package,  Sile  guarding  the  captain,  and 
Asa  rowing  the  boat.  When  they  reached  the  shore, 
where  Katy  Brown  was  standing,  Ike  got  out  first,  Asa 
next,  and  when  Sile  got  out  and  was  reaching  to  help 
the  captain  ashore,  the  captain,  as  quick  as  a  flash, 
pushed  the  boat  from  the  wharf,  and  rowed  for  the  op 
posite  shore  as  rapidly  as  bone  and  muscle  could  handle 
oars.  Sile,  who  was  inexperienced  in  the  management 
of  prisoners,  stood  still,  looked  at  the  man  in  the  boat 
rowing  away  and  was  as  dumbfounded  as  a  post. 
"  Why  in  thunder  did  you  allow  that  prisoner  to  get 
away  ?  You  stick !  you  wooden  man  !  I  thought  you 
knew  enough  to  hold  on  to  him.  Quick !  get  another 
boat  and  well  chase  him,"  cried  Ike  in  anger  and  con 
sternation. 

"  There's  not  another  boat  on  the  shore,"  said  Katy 
Brown. 

"  Well,  hurry  and  we'll  get  a  team  and  some  help, 
and  we'll  chase  round  on  the  other  side,  and  try  and 
get  him  again,"  said  Ike. 

They  hurried  to  the  village,  left  the  wet  parcel  un 
opened  at  Ike's  office,  secured  a  team  and  started  on  a 
hunt  for  the  escaped  smuggler.  When  darkness  had 
lowered  upon  them  the  party  gave  up  the  hunt  and  re 
turned  to  town  tired  and  exhausted. 

On  their  return  Ike  invited  those  who  accompanied 
him  in  the  hunt  to  go  to  his  office,  where  he  would  treat 
them  to  cigars  for  the  services  rendered,  and  before  he 
passed  the  cigars  around  to  the  boys  he  concluded  that 
he  would  first  satisfy  his  curiosity  by  opening  the  wet 
package  and  seeing  what  kind  of  goods  Captain  Freebit 
was  smuggling:. 


160  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

While  he  was  untying  and  removing  the  many  cov 
erings  upon  the  parcel  the  crowd  sat  there  joking  about 
Sile's  letting  the  captain  slip  through  his  hands,  and 
eagerly  watching  to  see  what  the  removal  of  the  wrap 
ping  would  reveal. 

Lo  and  behold,  what  were  the  contents  of  that  pack. 
;ige?  Lazarus  White's  money  and  bonds! 

The  excitement  that  prevailed  was  indescribable. 
Threats  were  made  to  lynch  Asa  Bragdon,  but  he  could 
not  be  found.  "  No,"  said  one,  "he  left  the  crowd  just 
soon  as  it  got  dark  ;  bet  lie's  so  far  in  the  woods  by  this 
time  he'll  never  be  seen  agin  round  here.'' 

The  lockup  was  boldly  broken  open,  and  poor,  inno 
cent  Jimmy  Hope  liberated  amidst  a  cheering  and  de 
lighted  throng  of  people.  All  were  delighted  to  hear 
the  good  news  that  Jimmy  Hope  was  not  the  villain 
that  the  vagabonds  had  painted  him.  The  change  of 
sentiment  in  his  favor  had  a  tendency  to  incense  the 
populace  against  the  perpetrators  of  the  crime,  and  with 
indignant  rage  they  threatened  to  culminate  in  a  lynch 
ing.  Ace,  however,  saved  them  the  trouble,  for  the  next 
morning  he  was  found  in  the  woods  hanging  to  a  tree, 
where  he  had  committed  suicide.  In  the  midst  of  the 
excited  crowd  that  night  Katy  Brown  forced  her  way  to 
where  Jimmy  was,  and  said,  "Jimmy,  I  knew  you  was 
innocent,  and  'twas  me  that  sent  Mr.  Bogan  after  the 
lawyer  for  you."  Jimmy  was  dumb  with  gratitude  for 
her  loyalty  to  him.  His  throat  filled,  and  tears  streamed 
down  his  cheeks  as  he  tried  to  speak  to  her. 

The  money  and  bonds  were  taken  to  Lazarus  White 
that  night,  when  they  found  him  hovering  between  life 


THE    SMUGGLER.  161 

and  death.  His  feelings  for  Jimmy  were  so  sympathetic 
that,  in  his  eagerness  to  see  the  boy  who  had  been  un 
justly  treated,  he  did  not  even  refer  to  the  return  of  the 
money  and  bonds,  but  said,  "  Where  is  my  boy  Jimmy? 
Bring  him  to  me." 

"  Here  I  am,  grandpa,"  as  he  clasped  his  arm  about 
the  maimed  old  man  and  caressed  him. 

Lazarus  lingered  a  few  months,  a  hopeless  invalid,  but 
his  disposition  changed  and  his  miserly  nature  had  dis 
appeared.  Jimmy  cared  for  him  and  gave  him  every 
attention  a  nurse  could  give  a  patient.  Katy  Brown 
came  frequently  for  her  mother  to  inquire  about  the 
health  of  Mr.  White,  and  the  old  man  even  in  his  feeble 
condition  could  not  but  see  the  sincere  devotion  of  the 
young  lady  to  his  grandchild. 

He  liked  them  both,  and  frequently  told  them  that  it 
was  his  intention  to  leave  them  his  homestead,  and  that 
he  hoped  that  they  would  live  long  to  enjoy  it,  and  be 
happy  in  the  home  where  he  had  spent  his  lifetime.  He 
died,  however,  quite  suddenly,  and  left  no  will. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE    BAR    HAKBOR    DERBY. 

AFTER  the  tragic  death  of  Lazarus  White  his  son, 
Royal  Flush  White,  came  home  and  took  charge 
of  his  father's  business,  and  in  the  capacity  of  adminis 
trator  entered  upon  the    duties    of    settlement  of  the 
estate. 

Such  wild  and  reckless  management  of  business  af 
fairs  was  almost  without  a  parallel,  and  his  improvident 
methods  indicated  disaster  and  financial  ruin  in  a  very 
short  time.  Little  did  the  neighbors  of  old  Mr.  White 
think  that  the  money  for  which  he  had  toiled  early  and 
late,  for  which  so  many  self-denials  and  small  deceptions 
had  been  made,  and  which  he  had  hoarded  with  such 
miserly  care,  would  ever  be  used  to  maintain  any  one  in 
luxury ;  yet  so  it  was,  for  when  Royal  assumed  control 
of  his  father's  estate,  he  began  by  squandering  money  right 
and  left  in  the  gratification  of  his  imprudent  desires. 

His  first  business  transaction  was  to  order  Jimmy 
from  the  house.  Poor  Jimmy  was  thus  made  homeless. 
This  sorrow,  added  to  the  shame  of  his  recent  troubles, 
made  him  very  melancholy  ;  but  Jimmy  could  not  bear 
dependency  and  immediately  started  in  quest  of  new 
employment.  While  trudging  down  the  road,  with  a 
small  bundle  of  clothes  under  his  arm,  he  met  Katy 
Brown,  to  whom  he  confided  his  troubles. 

162 


THE  BAR  HARBOR  DERBY.          163 

11  Come  home  to  my  mother's  house,  and  I  know  she 
will  give  you  shelter." 

The  two  walked  along  together,  and  while  passing 
the  home  of  Dennis  Began,  Dennis  called  out,  "  Good 
morning,  Jimmy,  and  how  be  ye  to-day  ?  "  Before  he 
could  respond  Dennis  perceived  the  tears  rolling  down 
his  cheeks,  and  said  soothingly,  "  What's  the  matter,  me 
poor  boy  ?  "  When  he  had  repeated  the  story  Dennis 
said,  "  Come,  boy,  come  into  my  house  and  stay  as  long 
as  }rou  please.  Owing  to  your  poor  withered  arm  ye 
can't  fin'  work  that  suits  you.  You'll  have  a  home  with 
me  and  me  wife  as  long  as  ye  care  to  stay  with  us. 
Come  in  now  and  stop  cryin'."  He  accepted  the  hospi 
tality  offered  him  by  Mr.  Bogan,  and  from  that  time  on 
made  it  his  place  of  abode. 

One  day  shortly  after  he  took  up  his  residence  with 
Dennis  he  took  him  into  his  confidence,  and  told  him  a 
story  about  the  bay  gelding  that  had  been  such  a  disap 
pointment  to  his  grandfather  and  which  had  been 
the  subject  of  so  many  jokes  about  "  Lazarus  White's 
gettin'  took  in."  Jimmy  told  Dennis  that  the  gelding 
was  of  no  value  whatever  for  use  in  a  carriage  or  a 
wagon,  but  that  as  a  saddle  horse  he  was  a  perfect  won 
der.  "  Grandpa  never  knew,"  said  Jimmy,  "  that  I  used 
to  ride  him  when  goin'  after  the  cows,  because  I  was 
afraid  to  tell  him.  You  know  before  that  trouble  he'd  a 
whipped  me  if  he'd  known  I'd  been  a-ridin'  him,  and  after 
that  I  was  afraid  he'd  be  worried  for  fear  I'd  git  hurt 
if  he  knowed  I'd  been  a-ridin'  him.  Roy,  since  grandpa 
died,  offered  to  sell  the  horse  to  Bluster  Rankin  for 
twenty-five  dollars,  but  Bluster  never  offered  him  more 


164  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

than  ten.  Before  grandpa  died  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  soon's  I  earned  money  enough  in  the  bottlin'  works 
that  1  was  goin'  ter  git  some  one  ter  buy  it  for  me  ;  but, 
course  after  I  got  discharged  and  had  that  trouble,  never 
thought  no  more  'bout  it  till  t'other  day  when  I  was 
thinkin'  'bout  how  I  was  ever  goin'  ter  pay  Lawyer 
Glidden  for  what  he  done  at  the  trial.  Roy'8  still 
willin'  ter  take  twenty-five  dollars,  and  I'd  like  to  know 
what  you  think  about  me  goin'  down  ter  see  the  lawyer 
and  tellin'  him  about  the  horse.  It's  worth  more'n  any 
horse  in  the  deestrict,  and  if  he  can  be  bought  for 
twenty-five  dollars  it  is  a  huggin'  trade." 

"  How  fast  can  he  go?"  asked  Dennis. 

"Fast?"  answered  Jimmy,  "he  can  run  like  a  fox. 
I  b'lieve  he  can  go's  fast  as  any  them  hosses  they  tell 
about  over  to  Bar  Harbor." 

"  If  that's  so,"  said  Dennis,  "  let's  go  and  see  the  law 
yer,  and  if  he  sez  yis  we'll  buy  the  geldin'  before  some 
other  chap  gets  round  and  buys  him  of  Roy  for  a  song." 

They  accordingly  told  Ike  about  the  wonderful  qual 
ities  of  the  gelding  as  a  saddle  horse,  and  Ike  promptly 
said,  "  Dennis,  I'll  put  up  the  money  if  you'll  carry  out 
the  negotiations  with  Royal.  He  ought  to  be  worth 
twenty-five  dollars,  even  to  play  with,  if  you  can't  use 
him  in  a  carriage.  If  we  get  him  we'll  give  him  a  trial, 
and  if  he  shows  any  speed,  we  will  enter  him  in  the 
Derby  at  Bar  Harbor."  Dennis  had  little  difficulty  in 
securing  the  animal  at  the  price  named. 

The  next  morning  Ike  and  Dennis  drove  on  a  country 
road,  where  Jimmy  was  to  speed  the  gelding.  When 
they  had  gone  about  two  miles  they  tied  their  horse  by 


THE   BAR   HARBOR   DERBY.  165 

the  roadside  and  waited  for  Jimmy  to  ride  down  by 
them.  "  Here  he  comes,  Dennis,"  said  Ike,  and  in  a 
few  seconds  Jimmy  rode  past  at  full  speed.  "  He's  got 
more  speed  than  any  horse  I  ever  saw.  He's  a  wonder, 
Dennis." 

Jimmy  rode  about  half  a  mile,  turned,  and  rode  back 
to  where  they  were  stationed. 

"  Go  up  and  bring  him  down  again,  Jimmy ;  see  if 
you  can  get  up  as  much  steam  as  you  did  before,"  re 
quested  Ike. 

"  Steam !  ho,  that  wasn't  half  his  steam,"  proudly 
said  Jimmy,  as  he  galloped  up  the  road  again. 

"  He's  coming,  Dennis.  Just  look  at  him,"  and  when 
he  went  by  them  Ike  said,  "  That  horse  can  beat  any 
horse  in  Maine.  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do.  We'll  get 
him  ready  to  start  in  the  Bar  Harbor  races." 

"  Faith,  an'  that's  phwat  we'll  do,"  responded  Dennis. 

They  returned  to  town  highly  pleased  with  the  result 
of  the  trial,  and  decided  to  have  Jimmy  exercise  the 
horse  daily  to  get  it  in  condition  for  the  race.  The 
great  speed  demonstrated  by  this  apparently  wild  horse 
was  a  revelation. 

By  reason  of  Jimmy's  lame  arm  Dennis  suggested 
that  a  more  experienced  rider  might  be  able  to  get  even 
a  greater  degree  of  speed  from  the  animal.  Another 
young  man  was  engaged  to  assist  in  the  preparation  for 
the  race,  and  if  necessary  to  ride  the  race.  It  was  a  use 
less  change ;  the  gelding  seemed  to  appreciate  Jimmy's 
kind  disposition,  and  would  respond  to  every  command 
given,  to  show  his  full  appreciation  of  the  esteem  he  had 
for  his  rider. 


166  IKE   GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  news  spread  throughout 
the  district  and  even  into  the  surrounding  towns  of  tl it- 
wonderful  speed  of  the  horse. 

The  grand  reports  of  its  fleetness  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  turfmen  and  others,  and  it  was  not  many  days 
until  several  men  visited  Blueberry  Falls  for  the  purpose 
of  buying  the  promising  king  of  the  turf.  A  sale  was 
finally  consummated  at  a  seemingly  good  price,  five  hun 
dred  dollars,  and  the  gelding  was  taken  to  Bar  Harbor 
by  its  new  owner. 

"What  do  you  call  this  horse,  Mr.  Glidden?"  asked 
the  new  owner. 

"  Bogan,"  replied  Ike. 

"  Whom  was  he  named  for?  " 

"  I  named  him  after  that  old  fellow  you  saw  here  this 
morning." 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  clever  old  fellow,  and  I  will  hold 
on  to  the  same  name." 

"Yes,  Dennis  is  a  clever  man  and  an  honest  one. 
You  may  depend  on  it  that  he  is  a  good  man,  whose  in 
timate  friends  are  all  good  and  whose  enemies  are  de 
cidedly  bad." 

The  horse  Bogan  was  entered  in  a  race  at  Bar 
Plarbor,  and  was  picked  by  almost  everybody  as  a  sm*e 
winner.  In  the  first  heat,  away  over  on  the  back 
stretch,  Bogan  threw  up,  and  the  jockey  did  not  seem 
to  meet  with  very  flattering  results  in  his  efforts  to  se 
cure  much  speed  from  him,  and  the  horse  was  finally 
withdrawn  from  the  race. 

"  Where's  that  country  boy  that's  been  riding  this 
horse  ?  "  cried  some  of  the  crowd  that  had  their  mone}r 
bet  on  Bogan. 


THE  BAR  HARBOR  DERBY.  167 

"  I'll  have  that  boy  here  the  next  time  this  horse  starts 
in  a  race,  if  it  costs  me  a  thousand  dollars.  This  horse 
has  speed  ;  and  you  will  have  an  opportunity,  boys,  be 
fore  long  to  win  back  more  money  than  you  have  lost 
on  him,"  said  the  owner. 

It  seemed  rather  an  unusual  occurrence  for  the  owner 
of  a  horse  that  is  entered  into  a  great  contest  to  be  de 
pending  on  the  skill  of  a  country  boy  to  win  the  race  for 
him.  But  the  man  felt  that  his  horse  had  sufficient 
speed  if  he  were  driven  by  some  one  who  understood 
him. 

Jimmy  reluctantly  consented  to  enter  into  competition 
with  experienced  and  shrewd  jockeys.  He  began  duties 
by  gaining  the  gelding's  affection.  It  was  like  a  meet 
ing  of  old  friends ;  the  gelding  readily  recognized  his 
new  rider,  for  when  Jimmy  entered  the  stall  he  arched 
his  neck  gracefully,  whinnied,  shook  his  tail,  and  with  a 
proud  step  pranced  toward  him.  His  eyes  seemed  to 
dilate  with  pleasure,  his  nostrils  expanded,  and  there 
was  a  friendliness  in  the  meeting  more  eloquent  than 
words.  The  gelding  seemed  to  delight  in  the  friendship, 
in  the  sympathy  and  in  the  love  Jimmy  had  for  him. 

Every  morning  until  the  race  he  was  saddled  by 
Jimmy  and  ridden  around  the  course.  At  first  he  was 
allowed  to  set  his  own  gait,  but  gradually  he  was  urged 
to  increase  the  speed  which  was  his  natural  heritage. 
He  became  accustomed  to  the  presence  and  voices  of 
strangers  about  him,  although  he  trusted  none  but 
Jimmy. 

The  day  of  the  Derby  was  one  of  the  most  charming 
of  the  season,  and  Bar  Harbor,  that  famous  resort,  was 


168  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

the  scene  of  great  activity.  In  addition  to  the  many 
summer  visitors  there  were  excursion  parties  there  from 
all  the  surrounding  towns  and  villages,  and  in  the  hotels 
and  on  the  verandas  of  these  vast  hostelries  were  to  be 
seen  the  usual  mixed  company,  discussing  the  probable 
result  of  the  race.  Each  were  clashing  with  the  other 
in  the  confused  conversations  that  were  in  order,  as  they 
asserted  their  expectations  of  a  favorite  horse,  but  with 
all  the  agitation  there  was  no  mention  of  the  horse 
Bogan  to  be  heard.  Certainly  it  must  have  been  be 
cause  he  did  not  merit  attention  when  so  many  other 
horses  of  renown  and  established  prestige  were  entered 
in  the  contest. 

Roy  White  crossed  the  hall  and  entered  the  reception 
room  of  the  hotel,  where  he  found  a  flashily  dressed  man 
who  arose  to  meet  him. 

"  I  think  you  wished  to  see  me,"  said  Roy. 

"  My  name  is  Wilson,"  said  the  man.  "  You  have 
heard  of  me ;  I  am  a  bookmaker  at  the  race  track." 

"  Pleased  to  meet  you,"  said  Roy,  assuming  a  tone  of 
cordiality.  "  What  can  I  do  for  you,  Mr.  Wilson  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  understand  that  you  formerly  owned  the 
horse  called  Bogan,  and  I  would  like  to  know  your 
opinion  of  his  speed." 

44  Oh,  that's  it,  is  it  ?  Well,  I  can  tell  you  all  about 
him.  He's  no  earthly  good  ;  I  sold  him  for  twenty-five 
dollars,  and  was  fully  satisfied  that  I  got  all  he  was 
worth." 

"  That's  just  what  I  heard,"  said  Wilson  ;  "  but  they 
have  been  telling  so  much  about  his  speed,  we've  re 
garded  him  as  rather  a  dangerous  horse  in  this  race 


THE  BAR  HARBOR  DERBY.          169 

coming  off  to-day,  and  a  friend  of  mine  told  me  you 
were  here  and  could  give  me  just  the  information  we 
desire." 

"  Speed  !  if  he's  got  any  speed  I'd  like  to  know  where 
he  got  it  ?  Didn't  they  try  to  race  him  here  a  few  days 
ago  and  he  threw  up  on  them?  I  tell  ye  he's  nothing 
but  an  ugly  plug,  that  is  dangerous  for  any  man  to 
handle  and  never  showed  any  signs  of  speed  until  they 
got  him  up  here,  and  all  I  know  is,  they  say  he  bucked 
up  on  that  race  they  started  him  in." 

"  Didn't  he  show  some  wonderful  speed  down  there  at 
the  time  these  fellows  bought  him?  " 

"  Oh,  that  was  only  one  of  the  bluffs  of  that  lawyer 
down  there  —  got  up  a  great  furore  about  the  gelding's 
speed,  and  when  these  fellows  went  down  to  buy  him,  I 
suppose  they  either  hypnotized  them  or  got  'em  drunk ; 
anyway  they  must  a  done  somethin'  to  'em." 

"  Mr.  White,  would  you  advise  your  friends  to  bet 
money  on  this  horse  or  against  him  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Wilson,  I  am  here,  too,  because  I  know  the 
gelding.  There's  some  men  here  that's  lost  their  heads 
on  him  because  they  think  he's  fast,  and  owing  to  this 
I  know  there'll  be  a  chance  to  make  some  money  on  this 
race." 

"  So  you  really  intend  to  wager  money  on  the  race 
yourself,  do  you,  Mr.  White  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I'm  goin'  ter  bet  all  the  money  I've  got 
with  me,  if  I  get  a  chance,  on  any  horse  in  the  field  as 
against  the  geldin'." 

"  Thank  you  for  this  information,  Mr.  White,  and  I 
shall  be  guided  l»y  what  you  have  told  me.  A  man's 


170  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

sincerity  is  usually  best  determined  by  his  acts,  and  as 
you  know  the  colt,  I  shall  advise  my  friends  to  risk  no 
money  on  him.  I  hope  to  see  you  after  the  race,"  said 
Wilson,  as  he  walked  out  to  the  carriage  that  wras  wait 
ing  to  take  him  to  the  park. 

"How  d'do,  Mr.  Glidden?"  said  the  owner  of 
Bogan,  as  he  arose  from  his  chair  in  the  office  of  the 
hotel  and  cordially  extended  his  hand.  "  Come  up  to 
see  the  race,  did  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  quite  a  party  of  our  people  are  here  hoping  to 
see  your  horse  win  out.  By  the  way  how  is  Jimmy 
getting  on  ?  " 

"  Oh,  the  boy  is  having  excellent  luck.  He  seems  to 
be  able  to  do  anything  he  wishes  with  the  horse." 

"  Mr.  Glidden,  you  are  a  man  of  good,  sound  judg 
ment  and  know  the  disposition  of  Bogan  as  well  as  I 
do,  and  I  would  like  to  have  your  candid  opinion  of  the 
probable  result  of  this  race.  Confidentially  speaking,  it 
will  mean  a  great  deal  to  me  financially,  as  I  have  backed 
him  almost  to  my  limit." 

"  Don't  be  afraid  of  Bogan's  throwing  up  as  long  as 
Jimmy  Hope  is  on  his  back.  He  has  the  speed  and 
ability  to  go  faster  than  any  horse  I  ever  saw,  and  Jimmy 
Hope  can  handle  him  to  perfection,  unless  the  boy  gets 
rattled  on  account  of  inexperience  in  jockeying." 

"  That's  what  I  meant,  Mr.  Glidden,  when  I  asked 
you  for  your  opinion  about  risking  a  lot  of  money  on  a 
horse  of  peculiar  characteristics,  handled  by  a  green 
country  boy.  It's  a  hard  place  to  put  a  boy  in  and  ex 
pect  too  much  of  him." 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  its  being  a  hard  place  for 


THE    BAR    HARBOR    DERBY.  171 

Jimmy  ;  I've  seen  him  in  a  place  ten  times  as  Lard  as 
that  and  he  was  as  cool  as  a  cucumber." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Glidden,  it's  almost  too  late  to  get  fright 
ened  now.  I've  staked  my  little  pile  on  this  race,  and 
will  have  to  stand  it  either  way  it  winds  up." 

"  So  have  I,"  said  Ike ;  "  I've  staked  what  little  I 
had,  and  am  not  afraid  that  I'll  have  to  walk  home." 

"  Well,  it  looks  as  though  we  were  pretty  sure  that 
the  boy  will  create  a  sensation.  Some  of  these  fellows 
have  gone  four  to  one  against  the  gelding.  Here's 
good  luck  for  the  boy  !  "  said  the  owner  of  the  gelding, 
as  he  again  shook  hands  with  Ike  and  started  for  the 
race  track. 

The  race  took  place,  and  Jimmy  rode  Bogan.  It 
was  a  contest  for  both  money  and  glory.  It  was  for  the 
best  horse  to  win,  and  nothing  could  tempt  owner, 
trainer  or  rider  from  the  strictest  line  of  honesty. 

Intense  excitement  prevailed  throughout  the  multi 
tude,  and  the  vehement  cheers  of  those  about  the  pool 
box  seemed  more  deafening  as  the  race  progressed. 

The  race  was  one  chapter  of  continuous  amazement. 
As  it  progressed  each  person  seemed  to  be  more  sur 
prised  at  the  startling  manner  in  which  the  rider  of 
Bogan  was  achieving  fame  for  himself.  But  the 
climax  was  reached  when  Bogan,  tossing  his  mane  in 
the  wind,  opening  his  nostrils  wide,  and  pointing  his 
thin,  close-set  ears  on  the  home  stretch,  was  dashing  for 
dear  life  through  the  midst  of  the  other  steeds  in  the 
last  heat.  A  half-dozen  more  leaps  brought  him  abreast 
of  the  leading  horse,  and  then,  feeling  Jimmy's  knee 
pressing  his  shoulders  and  hearing  Jimmy's  voice  whis- 


172  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

pering  words  of  encouragement  in  his  ears,  the  gelding 
dashed  ahead,  to  rush  down  through  the  lane  of  an  ex 
cited  throng  of  people  to  a  noble  victory.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  the  career  of  a  successful  race  horse,  that 
has  since  won  many  victories  und  captured  numerous 
prizes  under  the  guidance  of  his  sincere  friend,  Jimmy 
Hope. 

After  the  closing  of  the  race,  while  caressing  Jimmy 
Hope,  Ike  said,  "  Did  you  see  Katy's  red  cape  waving 
from  the  grand  stand  ?  She  stood  right  up  in  front  of 
the  crowd  on  the  grand  stand,  and  waved  her  shawl 
and  cried  out  in  the  wildest  enthusiasm  for  you." 

"  Katy  !  Katy  Brown  here  !  Where  is  she  ?  I  have 
not  seen  her,"  said  the  boy,  who  seemed  surprised  as 
well  as  delighted  to  learn  that  she  was  there  to  witness 
his  triumph. 

"  Oh,  she  is  with  a  party  of  folks  from  home,  and  has 
been  trying  to  get  down  on  the  track  to  see  you  all  the 
afternoon,  but  the  rest  of  the  girls  would  not  let  her 
come." 

"  Are  there  many  people  here  from  home  ? "  anx 
iously  inquired  Jimmy,  whose  time  had  been  so  closely 
taken  up  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  know  who  were 
at  the  race. 

44  Yes,  there  is  a  great  crowd  come  over.  You  know 
there  is  an  excursion  and  almost  everybody  that  could 
leave  home  is  here." 

"Where  can  I  find  Katy?"  said  Jimmy. 

The  owner  of  the  horse,  with  a  cluster  of  people 
around  him,  was  proudly  accepting  the  congratulations 
extended  to  him,  but  was  evidently  as  much  interested 


THE   BAR   HARBOR   DERBY.  173 

in  Jimmy  as  in  his  own  good  fortune,  because  even  in 
that  shower  of  glory  in  which  he  was  the  central  figure, 
he  noticed  what  Jimmy  said  and  yelled  in  response, 
"  Never  mind,  Jimmy,  I  saw  her  when  she  waved  the 
red  cape.  Mr.  Glidden  pointed  her  out  to  me.  P'raps 
she's  the  mascot  and  not  you." 

"  Honestly,  I  b'lieve  she  is,"  said  Jimmy. 

When  the  gelding  had  been  taken  in  charge  by  the 
professional  rubber  and  the  stable  men,  Jimmy  hurriedly 
followed  the  crowd  of  excursionists  in  pursuit  of  the 
young  lady  with  the  red  cape. 

The  next  evening,  at  the  store  of  Ansel  Hicks  in 
Blueberry  Falls,  the  gossip  peculiar  to  the  excursion 
was  being  talked  over. 

"  What  sign  is  it  when  a  man  of  great  spirit  grows 
melancholy  ?  "  said  Tim  Cronin. 

"  What  d'yer  mean,  Tim?"  said  Ansel. 

"  Why,  Roy  White  looks  so  thin  and  grouty  ter-day 
that  yer'd  think  he  was  on  the  way  from  a  cemetery," 
said  Tim. 

"  No  wonder ;  they  say  he  lost  heaps  of  money  at  the 
race  yesterday,"  said  Ame  Blibbers. 

"Yes,  and  I  heerd  that  he  was  playin'  keerds  over 
there  in  the  evening  after  the  race  was  over,  and  there 
was  a  lot  of  money  on  the  table  ;  they  were  playin'  a  big 
game,  and  it  came  Roy's  turn  to  deal  the  keerds,  and 
somehow  t'other  he  got  the  money,  'cause  he  bluffed 
'em  all  out.  Then  some  one  caught  him  stealin'  a  keerd 
ofFn  the  table  ter  make  his  hand  strong,  and  they  had  a 
divil  of  a  fuss.  Yes,  they  made  him  give  back  all  the 
money  he  won  from  them,  and  kicked  him  out  o'  ther 
room,"  continued  Ame. 


174  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"  That  is  good  enough  fer  anybody  that  would  do 
what  he  has  done,"  said  Tim. 

"Here's  the  man  what's  got  some  of  old  Miser 
White's  cart  wheels.  How  much  did  yer  win  yester 
day  ?  Reckon  from  what  they  say  that  you  was  one  of 
the  crowd  that  got  some  of  Roy  White's  bundle,'*  said 
Ame  to  Ike  Glidden,  who  had  just  called  upon  his  old 
friend  Ansel. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  make  much;  anyway  I  didn't  do  any 
betting  with  Roy  White.  If  he  lost  it  must  have  been 
with  that  crowd  of  strangers  he  was  with  at  the  races," 
responded  Ike. 

"  They  say  that  Roy  brought  a  new  horse  home  with 
him  ter-day  when  he  came.  S'pose  he's  a  fast  one,  or 
he  wouldn't  have  his  legs  all  done  up  in  bandages  like 
he  has." 

"  Yes,  I  saw  him,  and  they  say  he's  a  trotter  with  a 
record,"  said  Lickety  Billings,  who  was  sitting  in  the 
corner,  industriously  puffing  on  the  end  of  a  cheroot. 

"  That's  nice  di'men'  they  say  that  man  what  owns 
Bogan  giv  Jimmy  as  a  trophy  for  winning  the  race," 
said  Ame. 

"  Yes,  Katy  Brown  was  here  to  show  it  to  me.  Jimmy 
gave  it  to  her  to  take  care  of  for  him,"  said  Ike  Glid 
den. 

"  S'pose  Katy  'ill  have  that  di'men'  fer  her  own  bum- 
by,"  said  Ansel. 

"  Yes,  Jimmy  Hope  thinks  the  world  of  that  girl,  and 
there  is  every  reason  why  he  should  after  the  way  she 
stood  by  him  during  that  trouble.  Some  girls  wouldn't 
have  stood  by  him  as  she  did,"  said  Tim. 


THE   BAR   HARBOR   DERBY.  175 

"  She's  a  noble  girl,  and  I  tell  you  what,  this  whole 
community  should  be  proud  of  her  for  the  way  she  got 
us  to  overhaul  that  smuggler  and  find  out  the  nature  of 
his  business,"  said  Ike. 

"If  it  wasn't  for  her  we'd  never  found  out  but  what 
it  was  Jimmy  that  robbed  the  old  man,"  said  Ame. 

"  Well,  it's  all  right ;  it  looks  as  though  the  whole 
community  is  proud  of  both  of  them,  and  she  is  entitled 
to  the  credit  of  it  all,"  said  Ike,  as  he  bade  the  boys 
"  Good-night." 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

THE    RECEIPT. 

THERE,  I  won't  stand  any  more  of  that.  You 
are  always  laughing  at  me,"  said  Ike  Glidden  in 
a  way  of  pleasant  greeting  to  Mandy  Garland  one  after 
noon,  as  he  drove  up  in  front  of  the  mazza,  where  a 
number  of  ladies  were  seated. 

"  Really,  Mr.  Glidden,  how  could  we  help  laughing 
when  we  saw  you  coming,  because  we  had  just  been 
talking  about  the  joke  you  played  on  Mr.  Blibbers  at 
the  picnic  ?  " 

"  There,  Mandy,  that  picnic  of  yours  was  certainly  a 
great  event.  Everybody  had  a  grand  time,  and  down 
town  they  are  all  telling  about  what  a  good  time  they 
had.  But —  ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  —  Ame  Blibbers  ate  so  much 
ice-cream  that  he's  had  the  doctor  twice  a  day  ever  since, 
and  the  old  man  Blunt  is  threatened  with  palpitation  of 
the  heart,  nervous  prostration,  or  something  of  that 
kind,  because  Becca  danced  with  Tim  Crouin.  Oh, 
that  picnic  was  a  great  affair.  Hope  you'll  have  another 
one  soon  again,  Mandy,"  said  Ike. 

"  Yes,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Mr.  Cronin  I  guess  Becca 
would  have  been  so  frightened  she'd  never  lived  to 
reach  home,"  said  one  of  the  ladies. 

"How  was  that?"  inquired  Ike. 

"  Oh,  she  thought  she  saw  something  move  in  the 


MANDY    GARLAND 


THE    RECEIPT.  177 

bushes,  back  of  where  a  crowd  of  us  were  sitting,  and 
she  made  a  leap  and  started  to  run.  She  made  two 
jumps  and  then  fell  down.  Tim  rushed  to  where  she 
was,  and  while  picking  her  up  she  cried  out,  '  There, 
there,  see  it  coming  1  '  and  he  looked  up  and  laughingly 
said,  '  That's  nothing ;  don't  be  afraid ;  it's  nothing  but 
a  cow.'  '  A  cue — cue — cow  I '  chattered  Becca,  and 
when  she  had  wiped  the  tears  from  her  eyes  sufficiently 
to  make  out  the  outlines  of  the  cow,  she  exclaimed, 
'  Why,  Tim,  what  a  fool  I  am !  It  is  only  a  cow.' 
Probably  if  she  tells  her  father  about  how  Tim  saved 
her  life,  he  will  forgive  her  for  accepting  his  attentions," 
and  the  crowd  again  laughed. 

"  But  were  you  there  when  Squire  Blunt  drove  up  ? 
You  know  he  brought  Becca  up  with  his  horse  and  car 
riage,  and  when  she  got  out,  and  was  reaching  for  her 
basket  and  some  bundles  and  parcels  she  brought  to  the 
picnic,  she  found  that  the  paper  the  pie  was  wrapped  in 
was  somewhat  soiled  and  began  to  cry,  and  as  I  went 
up  to  speak  to  her  she  burst  out,  '  There,  pa,  you've 
stepped  on  that  pie,'  and  taking  the  paper  off  another 
bundle  she  continued,  '  Yes,  an'  there's  the  print  of  your 
shoe  right  across  this  sheet  of  cake,  and  the  pie  is  all 
mashed,  an'  ain't  fit  ter  use.  What  shall  I  do  ?  '  and  of 
course  I  took  her  by  the  arm  and  tried  to  pacify  by 
telling  her  we  had  lots  of  things,  and  not  to  cry.  After 
her  father  returned  home  she  stopped  ciying.  Oh,  she 
is  a  lovely  girl,  but  her  folks  have  petted  her  so  much 
they've  spoiled  her,"  said  Mandy,  as  they  all  repeated  a 
laugh  at  the  girlish  ways  of  Becca  Blunt. 

After  the  merriment  had  somewhat  subsided,  and  the 


178  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

conversation  was  drifting  into  topics  of  more  general 
interest,  Mrs.  Garland,  whose  mind  seemed  to  be  dwell 
ing  upon  more  serious  matters,  said,  "  Lawyer  Glidden, 
do  you  remember  having  seen  a  receipt  from  Lazarus 
White  among  those  papers  I  gave  you  when  you  were 
looking  up  the  title  to  that  land  ?  " 

'•  No,  I  don't  seem  to  remember  it ;  why  ?  is  it  a  mat 
ter  of  any  importance  to  you?"  returned  Ike. 

"  It  was  a  receipt  for  five  hundred  and  some  dollars, 
the  amount  due  on  a  mortgage  he  held  on  my  farm," 
responded  Mrs.  Garland. 

"  Was  there  anybody  present  when  you  paid  him?  " 

"  I  can't  exactly  remember  who  were  present.  I  sold 
a  tract  of  blueberry  land  to  get  money  with  which  to 
take  up  the  mortgage,  and  I  paid  the  money  to  Mr. 
White  the  same  day  I  sold  the  land.'' 

"  Why,  what  about  it,  Mrs.  Garland?  " 

"  Oh,  ho,  his  son  Roy  has  been  here  with  the  mortgage, 
and  it  does  not  show  that  anything  has  ever  been  paid 
upon  it,  and  I  can't  find  the  receipt,  an'  thought  maybe 
it  might  got  mixed  in  with  those  papers  I  gave  you." 

"  Where  were  you  at  the  time  the  money  was  paid?" 

"It  was  in  Ansel  Hicks'  store,  and  I  think  that  Mr. 
Hicks  and  some  others  were  there,  but  am  not  sure  who 
the  others  might  have  been." 

"  Well,  I  think  you  needn't  worry  any  about  the  mat 
ter.  If  Mr.  Hicks  was  present  at  that  time,  you  can 
easily  prove  that  it  has  been  paid  if  Roy  should  attempt 
to  force  the  matter,"  advised  Ike. 

"  Oh,  Roy  hasn't  threatened  to  do  anything  about  it, 
for  I  kind  of  think  that  he  knows  that  it  has  been  paid. 


THE    RECEIPT.  179 

But  you  know  before  the  picnic  he  came  here  several 
times  to  see  Mandy,  but  " —  and  with  a  sly  glance  at  her 
daughter  she  continued  —  "I  guess  she  didn't  give  him 
much  encouragement  to  come  any  more.  Anyway  she 
didn't  invite  him  to  the  picnic,  and  the  day  after  the 
picnic  he  brought  that  mortgage  up,  I  presume,  to  just 
remind  us  again  that  possibly  he  might  have  a  lash  over 
us.  I  told  him  that  it  had  been  paid,  and  he  asked  if 
I  had  a  receipt.  I  told  him  that  I  had  and  would  look 
it  up.  Then  he  called  another  day  to  see  if  I  had  found 
the  receipt,  and  I  had  to  tell  him  that  I  had  been  un 
successful  in  the  search.  So  now  I  don't  really  know 
what  he  might  attempt  to  do." 

"  It  seems  strange  that  you  did  not  get  the  mortgage 
from  Lazarus  when  you  paid  the  money,"  said  Ike. 

"  That  may  seem  strange ;  but  the  day  I  paid  him  I 
met  him  out  in  front  of  Mr.  Hicks'  store,  and  he  didn't 
say  anything  about  not  having  the  mortgage  with  him 
until  he  got  the  money  into  his  hands.  Then  he  said 
that  he  didn't  have  it  with  him,  but  would  bring  it  to 
me.  That's  how  he  happened  to  give  me  the  receipt, 
and  it  was  written  on  a  sheet  of  common  writing-paper. 
Hut  the  mortgage  he  never  brought  to  me  as  he  agreed 
to  do." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  understand;  he  never  gave  up  anything 
in  the  line  of  securities  until  he  was  obliged  to  do  so," 
said  Ike. 

"  I  thought  many  times  I  would  go  to  his  house  and 
see  him  about  the  matter  while  he  was  sick,  but  kept 
putting  it  off  until  finally  he  died,  and  then  I  never 
thought  any  more  about  it  until  Roy  came  to  see  us 


180  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

about  the  matter.  Well,  I  hope  there  will  be  no  trouble 
about  it,  anyway.  But  then  one  never  can  tell  what  is 
liable  to  happen." 

The  next  day  Ike  sat  in  his  office,  thinking  about  the 
villainy  of  Roy  White  tormenting  those  people  with 
that  old  mortgage  claim,  simply  because  his  attentions 
were  not  acceptable  to  Mandy,  and  finally  arose  and 
commenced  to  examine  some  old  files  of  papers  and 
documents  to  see  if  it  were  possible  that  the  receipt 
might  have  been  folded  in  with  the  papers  referred  to 
by  Mrs.  Garland.  He  overhauled  many  old  deeds,  writs 
and  documents,  scrutinized  every  paper  carefully,  and 
was  amply  rewarded  for  the  pains  taken,  for  he  found 
the  valued  receipt.  Folding  it  into  his  wallet  he  said  to 
himself,  "  There's  the  proof.  I'll  say  nothing  to  any 
body  about  finding  it,  and  if  Roy  White  ever  attempts 
to  press  a  claim  under  that  old  mortgage,  I'll  drive  him 
out  of  court  in  disgrace." 

A  few  weeks  after  the  picnic,  quartz  rock  was  found 
on  Mrs.  Garland's  land  near  the  corner  of  her  house. 
A  sample  of  the  rock  was  carried  by  one  of  her  neigh- 
bore  to  Ike's  office  for  him  to  examine.  After  he  had 
inspected  the  specimen  quite  carefully,  he  began  to 
laugh  and  said,  "  The  extent  of  my  experience  as  a  geolo 
gist  has  been  in  determining  the  size  and  weight  of  the 
rocks  on  our  old  farm  when  we  were  tussling  to  remove 
them  off  the  land,  but  then  if  my  opinion  on  rocks  and 
minerals  is  good  for  anything  I  should  say  that  this  is  a 
very  fair  specimen  of  gold-bearing  ore." 

This  off-hand  favorable  opinion  from  Ike,  in  a  joking 
way,  seemed  to  be  as  satisfactory  to  the  man  with  the 


THE   RECEIPT.  181 

rock  sample  as  though  his  sample  had  been  submitted  to 
an  expert.  .ie  accepted  the  remarks  from  Ike  as  being 
made  with  all  sincerity,  and  returned  home  with  the 
sensational  news  that  there  was  really  a  gold  mine  on 
Mrs.  Garland's  farm.  In  less  than  a  day  there  was  a 
very  enthusiastic  crowd  exploring  and  examining  the 
rock  heap  and  ledge  near  her  house.  They  were  all 
talking  at  once,  all  prophesying  the  Titanic  strides  by 
which  the  country  was  going  to  attain  prosperity,  and 
incidentally  each  owner  of  land  in  that  vicinity  was  go 
ing  to  get  rich  along  with  it.  They  were  trying  to  lo 
cate  the  vein,  and  thus  determine  upon  which  of  the 
adjoining  farms  there  might  be  a  certainty  of  mineral 
deposits ;  but,  while  the  white  rock  with  specks  of  glit 
tery  metal  appeared  distinctly  in  one  small  place  in  the 
ledge,  they  seemed  to  be  baffled  to  ascertain  in  which 
directions  the  vein  seemed  to  run. 

Along  toward  dark  one  of  the  party  said,  "  I'll  tell 
yer  what  we'll  do.     Let's  get  the  min'ral  rod." 

"  Where  can  we  git  one  ?  "  anxiously  said  another. 

"  Ho,  hain't  ther  one  down  to  ther  village  ;  yer  know 
ther  time  some  fortin-teller  came  here  and  sed  what . 
there  wuz  money  buried  down  on  ther  shore  near  the 
dyke.  The  town  'ppriated  some  money  ter  buy  one  o' 
them  min'ral  rods,  an'  Squire  Blunt  was  'pinted  one  of 
the  committee  ter  see  ter  gettin'  the  rod,  and  managin' 
ther  business  o'  diggin'  fer  ther  hidden  pot  o'  money.  If 
they  got  it  they  wuz  goin'  ter  build  ther  railroad. 
P'raps  he's  got  the  rod  now,  and  we'll  git  him  ter  cum 
up  an'  try  it." 

"  Well,  what's  ther  good  of  that?  it  didn't  find  ther 


182  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

hidden  pot  o'  gold  fer  'em,  an'  what's  the  tise  <>'  us  get- 
tin' it?" 

"  That's  nawthin'.  The  trouble  was  that  they 
couldn't  keep  from  a-talkin'  while  a-diggin'.  Yer  know 
in  diggin'  fer  buried  treasure,  yer  musn't  speak,  or  ther 
box  or  whatever  it's  in  'ill  change  its  location,  an'  then 
yer  can't  find  it  at  all.  They  only  worked  nights, 
'cause  it's  sed  yer  know  that  the  night's  the  best  tiino 
for  diggin'  treasure,  and  ther  darker  ther  better.  Well, 
on  two  or  three  times,  while  a-carryin'  on  the  work,  they 
were  quite  sure  that  they  cum  onter  ther  pot,  but  some 
on  'em  couldn't  keep  quiet.  The  fust  time  they  struck 
the  pot  was  an  awful  night,  ther  wind  was  a-blowin'  and 
it  wuz  a-rainin'  a  little,  and  jest  about  the  time  they 
thought  the  spade  touched  onter  it,  one  o'  them  'tarnel 
screech  owls  was  in  a  tree  right  closs  ter  where  they 
wuz  a-diggin',  an'  let  a  howl  out  o'  it  what  was  'nough 
ter  frighten  any  one,  and  Joe  Sampson  an'  ther  hull  o' 
them  fergot  themselves  and  said  something.  The  pot 
shifted,  and  they  didn't  find  no  trace  o'  it  agin  that- 
night.  The  next  time  they  tried  it  was  'bout  a  week 
later,  and  'twas  all  agreed  not  one  on  'em  wuz  ter  speak 
no  matter  what  happened.  But  afore  they  went  down 
that  evenin'  Bill  Morley  had  taken  two  or  three  geysers 
o'  whiskey,  an'  t'others  didn't  know  it,  and  about  the 
time  they  shoved  an  iron  bar  down  in  ther  right  place 
and  struck  the  pot  o'  gold,  Bill  whispered  ter  Joe,  an' 
says,  '  By  hookey,  Joe,  we've  got  it  this  time  sure  ;  wish 
t'l'd  bro't  down  a  pint,  an'  we'd  take  a  drink  ter  cel'brate 
our  grate  luck,'  and  Joe  wuz  so  mad  'cause  Bill  spoke 
that  he  blurted  out,  '  Bill  Morley,  you're  a  fool  ;  couldn't 


THE   RECEIPT.  183 

yer  hold  yer  tongue  until  we  got  our  hands  onter  ther 
money  ? '  and  then  ther  pot  shifted  again.  The  next 
time  I  heerd  about  them  tryin'  wuz  late  in  ther  fall,  an' 
they  had  sunk  ther  crowbar  on  all  sides  o'  ther  pot  what 
ther  money  wuz  in,  and  they  wuz  all  a-tusslin'  away  an' 
a-diggiu'  fer  all  they  wuz  worth,  and  Joe  Sampson  wuz 
half  froze,  and  he  got  so  excited  that  he  fergot  himself, 
an'  spoke  ter  Squire  Blunt  an'  asked  him  ter  lend  him  a 
pair  o'  mitts,  and  the  rest  o'  'em  with  that  flew  inter  a 
rage  and  threatened  ter  lick  Joe  'cause  he  couldn't  keep 
quiet,  an'  ther  pot  shifted  agin.  So  if  they  didn't  git 
ther  pot  o'  money,  'twan't  no  fault  o'  ther  min'ral  rod, 
'twas  'cause  they  couldn't  hoi'  their  tongues  long  enough 
ter  git  ther  hands  onter  ther  money." 

Yes,  I  remember  'bout  them  tellin'  about  it,  an'  they 
sed  the  reason  they  didn't  dig  no  more  was  'cause  ther 
old  squire  and  some  o'  his  'lations  did  the  diggin'  them 
selves,  and  got  the  money  and  kept  it." 

"  Prob-rably  that  when  he  got  the  money  he  in 
vested  in  gov'tment  bonds." 

They,  however,  sent  for  Squire  Blunt  to  come  and 
bring  the  magical  operating  rod  and  assist  in  the  search 
for  the  direction  in  which  the  vein  extended.  In  fact, 
they  were  so  deeply  interested  that  explorations  were 
continued  until  late  in  the  evening.  Ike  Glidden,  when 
driving  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Garland,  noticed  the  bril 
liancy  near  the  end  of  her  house,  and  wondered  what 
the  reason  was  for  the  unusual  illumination,  and  as  he 
drew  nearer,  he  saw  that  the  light  was  from  a  dozen  or 
more  lanterns  in  the  hands  of  people  that  were  evidently 
looking  for  something  that  had  been  lost.  The  myste- 


184  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

rious  scene  excited  his  curiosity,  and  he  hastened  to  ask 
Mandy  and  her  mother  the  cause  of  the  unusual  actions 
of  their  neighbors. 

Mrs.  Garland  inquired  if  he  had  not  seen  a  sample  of 
the  gold  that  had  been  found  there,  and  asked  further 
if  he  had  not  expressed  an  opinion  as  to  the  value  of 
the  mineral.  Ike,  in  response,  said,  "  Why,  that  was 
what  they  call  fool's  gold  ;  it  possesses  no  value  ;  I  hope 
what  I  said  to  that  man  who  brought  the  sample  to  me 
had  nothing  to  do  with  causing  all  this  excitement.'' 

"  Lawyer  Glidden,  I  certainly  think  it  had ;  isn't 
there  any  value  in  the  rock?" 

"  No,  I  don't  think  there  is." 

"  What  a  joke  to  play  on  these  poor  men  that  have 
spent  the  whole  day  in  tugging,  lifting  and  rolling  rocks  ! 
Now  they  are  out  there  this  evening  with  lanterns,  try 
ing  to  trace  the  vein,  arid  they've  sent  for  Squire  Blunt 
to  come  up  here  in  the  morning,  with  a  mineral  rod, 
to  assist  them.  Mr.  Glidden,  I  wish  that  you  would  go 
and  tell  them  it's  all  a  joke." 

"  No,"  said  Ike,  with  a  smile  extending  across  his 
face,  "  let  them  satisfy  their  curiosity.  Perhaps  there 
is  some  value  in  those  rocks.  My  opinion  is  of  no  more 
value  on  such  matters  than  your  own  would  be.  Mrs. 
Garland." 

The  next  morning  a  very  large  crowd  had  flocked 
there  to  view  the  spot  where  so  much  mineral  wealth 
was  supposed  to  exist.  Squire  Blunt  faithfully  re 
sponded  to  the  call,  and  came  bringing  the  mineral  rod 
with  him,  fully  prepared  to  perform  the  miracles  of  a 
wizard.  Ike  was  there  simply  for  amnsernent,  and  the 


THE    RECEIPT.  185 

opinions  being  expressed  by  those  who  seemed  to  be  di 
recting  the  enterprise  seemed  to  give  him  great  pleasure. 
Occasionally  some  of  them  would  refer  to  him  for  an  opin 
ion,  and  he  invariably  approved  of  whatever  course  they 
seemed  to  have  determined  upon.  Finally,  the  squire 
commenced  the  operation  of  locating  the  mine,  and  it 
was  evident,  from  the  actions  of  the  bob  on  the  end  of 
the  line,  that  he  had  been  successful  the  first  time,  and 
had  set  the  apparatus  squarely  over  the  valuable  deposit ; 
but  the  direction  in  which  the  rod  indicated  the  course 
of  the  vein  was  directly  under  Mrs.  Garland's  house. 
The  problem  of  operating  a  shaft,  if  the  vein  should  run 
under  the  house,  was  troubling  them.  They  were  so 
much  interested  in  the  project  of  opening  and  develop 
ing  the  find  that  a  bystander  would  naturally  think  that 
they  were  intending  to  commence  operations  at  once,— 
even  before  permission  had  been  obtained  from  Mrs. 
Garland. 

The  crowd  were  standing  around  the  front  door  of 
the  house,  consulting  with  each  other  as  to  the  most 
feasible  manner  of  carrying  on  work ;  and  about  the  time 
some  one  suggested  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  move 
the  house  in  order  to  make  a  successful  test  of  the  min 
eral  value  of  the  newly  discovered  mine,  and  Ike  ap 
proved  of  the  suggestion,  the  crowd  around  the  door 
began  to  huddle  together  in  order  to  make  room  for 
some  person  to  enter.  It  was  Roy  White,  with  a 
vengeful  look  upon  his  face,  elbowing  his  way  to  the 
door  where  Mrs.  Garland  and  her  daughter  were 
standing. 

"  Are  you  ready  to  pay  me  the  amount  of  this  mort- 


186  IKE    GI.IDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

^age  ?  "  said  Roy,  in  a  bold  and  insulting  manner,  as 
he  stood  looking  at  the  woman's  countenance  for  a  reply. 

"Please,  Mr.  White,  wait  until  to-morrow,  and  I'll 
see  what  I  can  do  about  the  matter,"  said  she  in  a  voice 
trembling  with  nervous  fear. 

"  I  cannot  wait  another  minute ;  I  come  to  demand 
payment  from  you  of  the  amount  of  this  mortgage  I 
hold  here  in  my  hands.  I  insist  that  you  pay  me  with 
out  further  delay,  or  I  shall  foreclose  and  take  pos 
session,''  returned  Roy  in  an  irritable  tone  of  voice. 

"  Roy,  you  should  not  be  so  hasty ;  why  don't  you 
give  this  lady  a  chance  ?  she  can  hire  the  money,  and  I 
know  she  will  pay  you,"  said  one  of  the  men. 

"  I  don't  want  none  of  your  advice.  This  is  my  prop 
erty  ;  you  get  off  my  property.  This  house,  this  land, 
and  this  mine,  is  my  property,"  said  Roy  in  a  rage. 

Ike  advanced  forward,  laid  his  hand  on  Roy's  shoulder 
and  said,  "  That  mortgage  has  been  paid,  and  your  acts 
are  those  of  a  knave.  Surrender  that  mortgage  to  Mrs. 
Garland,  and  leave  these  premises  instantly,  or  I'll  — !  " 
Ike  was  about  to  express  himself  in  language  more  forci 
ble  than  elegant,  when  he  thought  of  the  presence  of 
the  ladies  and  checked  his  words  abruptly. 

"  It  has  never  been  paid,"  cried  out  Roy  in  an  offen 
sive  and  defiant  manner,  "  and  I'll  stay  here  so  long  as  I 
please  so  to  do.  It  is  my  farm,  and,  Ike  Glidden,  I  order 
you  and  every  one  of  this  crowd  to  leave  these  premises 
at  once." 

Ike's  manly  spirit  was  aroused,  and  he  felt  like  pick 
ing  up  the  intruder  and  throwing  him  bodily  outside  of 
the  gate  ;  but  his  firm  temper  held  control  of  his  nerves, 


THE   EECEIPT.  187 

while  his  large  black  eyes  emitted  gleams  of  fire,  and  he 
simply  smiled  in  his  wrath  at  the  cruel  manner  Roy  had 
approached  Mrs.  Garland  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd. 
Quietly  reaching  his  hand  into  his  pocket  he  withdrew 
a  piece  of  paper,  and  held  it  to  the  crowd  and  said, 
"  Gentlemen,  that  mortgage  has  been  paid  and  here  is  the 
receipt." 

"  It  is  a  lie  ;  it  has  not  been  paid.  Ike  Glidden,  that 
receipt  is  only  a  bogus  one,  and  I  charge  you  with  for 
gery." 

"  Here,  Squire  Blunt,  is  the  receipt,"  said  Ike,  as  he 
passed  the  precious  piece  of  paper  to  him,  "  Look  at  it, 
and  say  whether  or  not  the  signature  of  Lazarus  White  is 
genuine." 

After  looking  over  it  the  squire  made  the  declaration 
in  loud  and  positive  accents,  "  It  is  all  written  in  the 
handwriting  of  Lazarus  White ;  every  word  on  the  re 
ceipt  is  in  his  writing,  and  I  say  't  the  receipt's  genu 
ine." 

"  Yes,  and  I  was  in  Ansel  Hicks'  store  when  it  was 
paid,  and  heard  Lazarus  tell  Mrs.  Garland  he'd  bring 
the  mortgage  up  ter  her  the  fust  time  he  druv  up  this 
way,"  said  Sile  Lombard. 

"  Leave  these  premises,"  said  Ike,  "  or  are  you  waiting 
to  be  helped  out  into  the  roadway  ?  " 

"That  isn't  my  father's  signature,"  said  Roy. 

"  Yes,  it  is,  Roy,  and  you'd  better  give  up  that  mortr 
gage  to  Mrs.  Garland  and  leave  this  yard,  and  not  create 
any  more  disturbance,"  said  the  squire  in  a  conciliatory 
tone. 

"  No,  I  won't  do  anything  of  the  kind ;  this  mine  is 


188  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

my  property,  and  I  own  this  farm,  and  I'll  stay  here  so 
long  as  I've  a  mind  to  do  so,"  continued  Roy. 

"  Sile  Lombard,  constable  and  keeper  of  the  public 
peace,  I  order  you  ter  'rrest  Roy  White  fer  disturbin' 
ther  peace  o-  mind  o'  Mrs.  Garland,  an'  she  can't  put  up 
with  his  nonsince  no  longer,"  commanded  the  squire  ; 
"  he  must  be  either  drunk  or  crazy/' 

While  Sile  was  hustling  him  out  of  the  yard  Roy  be 
gan  to  realize  the  viciousiiess  of  his  conduct,  and  tried 
to  make  a  treaty  with  the  officer  to  release  him  by  de 
claring,  "  The  receipt  is  all  right ;  it  is  my  father's 
signature.  Let  me  go,  and  I'll  give  up  the  mortgage  to 
Mrs.  Garland,  but  the  officer  jostled  him  out  through 
the  gate.  Sile  then  said  to  him,  "  Well,  give  me  the 
mortgage,  and  I'll  let  you  go." 

Roy  handed  him  the  document  and  got  into  his  car 
riage  and  drove  away,  while  the  multitude  of  people  that 
had  gathered  there  jeered  and  hooted  the  wayward  and 
imprudent  young  man  for  attempting  to  swindle  a  widow 
woman  out  of  her  home. 

When  the  crowd  had  quieted  down,  and  again  resumed 
the  search  for  a  more  positive  indication  of  the  drift  of 
the  vein,  and  Squire  Blunt  was  about  to  make  another 
test  with  the  mineral  rod,  Ike,  thinking  that  the  joke 
about  the  mine  had  been  carried  far  enough,  said  in  fun, 
"  Gentlemen,  Mrs.  Garland  has  agreed  to  sell  the  min 
eral  rights  of  this  property  to  a  syndicate  of  New  York 
capitalists,  that  propose  to  come  here  and  open  a  shaft 
within  a  short  time,  and  I  would  suggest  that  it  may 
not  be  advisable  to  pursue  your  explorations  any  further, 
for  fear  it  might  interfere  with  getting  those  people  to 


THE    RECEIPT.  189 

carry  out  the  plan  they  now  have  under  consideration. 
Let  us  wait  until  they  come  before  any  blasts  are  put 
into  the  ledge." 

They  accordingly  conceded  to  the  suggestion,  and 
abandoned  the  mine,  to  await  the  action  of  the  capital 
ists,  and  patiently  waited  operations  to  be  commenced 
by  them.  But  it  is  not  strange  to  say  that  their  wait 
did  not  satisfy  their  expectations,  for  the  mine  was  never 
opened. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 
ROY  WHITE'S  TROTTER. 

ROY   WHITE  did   not  inherit  any  of  his  father's 
propensities  for  accumulating  money,  but  what  he 
lacked  in  that  particular  he  made  up  in  conceit  and  dis 
sipation.     He   wore  fine  clothes,  smoked  good   cigars, 
and  took  pride  in  driving  fast  horses. 

A  few  weeks  after  he  made  an  extravagant  purchase 
of  a  horse  in  Bar  Harbor,  that  had  been  represented  to 
have  a  mark  in  the  "  teens,"  he  drove  up  in  front  of 
Ansel  Hicks'  store,  and  inquired  if  Lawyer  Glidden  had 
been  there  since  morning. 

"No,  hain't  seen  nothin'  of  him  since  he  driv  past 
here  just  after  the  mail  come  in,"  said  Ansel. 

"  ^7  gosh,  Roy,  if  yer  hain't  got  a  dandy  team  there ; 
bet  that  feller  can  shake  a  wagon  pretty  fast,"  said  one 
of  the  loafers  on  the  steps. 

"  This  horse  I  bought  for  a  trotter,  and  since  I  have 
driven  him  I've  become  satisfied  that  he  can  beat  out 
any  horse  in  the  State,"  boastingly  said  Roy. 

"  That's  pretty  good  colt  o'  Deacon  Squirm's,"  ven 
tured  Ansel. 

"  That  tunkle-headed  thing !  what's  he  good  for 
'ceptin'  for  an  old  woman  ter  drive?  He's  good  'nough 
s'pose  for  him  and  his  wife,  but  he  hain't  got  no  speed," 
said  Roy. 

190 


ROY    WHITE'S   TROTTER.  191 

"  I'll  bet  you  a  bottle  of  ginger-ale,  Roy,  that  the 
deacon's  colt  can  beat  any  horse  in  this  county,"  mirth 
fully  said  one  of  the  boys. 

"  Yes,  and  the  deacon  offers  to  race  with  any  horse  in 
town,"  jokingly  added  another. 

"  Didn't  suppose  the  deacon  would  race  horses,"  said 
Roy. 

"  Oh,  he  wouldn't  race  for  money,  but  he  says  it's  no 
harm  to  race  for  glory,"  teasingly  said  another. 

Driving  away  from  his  tormentors  Roy  said,  "  Will 
you  tell  Deacon  Squirm  or  anybody  else  in  the  district 
that,  when  they  care  to  match  horses  for  money  or  glory, 
they  can  arrange  terms  with  me." 

"  He  thinks  we're  in  dead  earnest.  Didn't  think  yer 
could  bother  him  so  easy's  that,"  said  one  of  the  boys 
after  Roy  had  driven  away. 

"  Bother  him  !  why,  he's  dead  easy ;  bet  that's  an  old 
broken-down  trotter  that  he's  had  plastered  on  ter  him, 
and  can't  trot  no  more'n  a  farm  horse,"  said  another. 

"  P'raps  he  might  go  quarter  a  mile  or  so  at  good 
clip,  but  would  quit  before  he  got  to  a  full  half,"  said 
another. 

"  I  b'lieve,  layin'  all  jokes  aside,  that  the  deacon's 
colt  would  give  him  a  hard  one." 

"  Let's  see  if  we  can't  have  some  fun  and  get  them 
tergether." 

"  Oh,  bosh,  the  deacon  wouldn't  race  with  nobody. 

"  Deuce,  he  wouldn't.  Let's  see  the  lawyer,  and  let 
him  in  on  ther  joke,  and  he'll  fix  the  deacon  so  he'll  be 
all  right." 

"  Well,  'tis  no  more  harm  fer  the  deacon  ter  race  than 


192  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

'tis  for  Mrs.  Squirm.  Saw  her  a  comin'  down  by  the 
post-office  t'other  day,  leading  a  race  with  a  roan  horse, 
and  she  was  just  a-sendin'  all  the  dust  inter  the  roan  that 
he  could  stand  under." 

Ike  had  always  been  popular  with  the  boys  about 
town,  because  he  was  so  ready  to  join  them  on  any  oc 
casion  that  promised  merriment.  Therefore  the  sug 
gestion  of  a  match  race  readily  met  with  his  hearty 
approval ;  the  prospect  of  an  endless  amount  of  fun  in 
the  match,  if  the  colt  should  happen  to  beat  Roy's  horse, 
really  awakened  him. 

"  Yes,  boys,  shouldn't  wonder  if  Roy's  horse  could  go 
pretty  fast  for  a  half-mile  or  so,  but  I'll  bet  he'd  then 
quit.  If  the  colt's  only  got  wind  enough  to  hold  out,  I 
b'lieve  he'd  beat  the  trotter  in  a  three-heat  race." 

"  Cal'late  it  'ud  be  hard  ter  get  the  deacon  inter  the 
game,"  said  one  of  the  boys. 

"  Don't  worry  about  that ;  I  can  fix  him.  He'll  do 
anything  I  tell  him  to,  all  right." 

"  He'd  be  afear'd  of  the  church  folks.  If  we'd  get 
him  ter  promise  ter  race  ther  colt,  ev'ry  ole  woman  in 
the  deestrict  'ud  be  after  him,  so  he'd  be  scairt  out," 
said  another. 

"  He  usually  depends  on  me  for  advice  in  most  mat 
ters,  and  I  think  I  can  get  the  old  fellow  to  let  us  have 
the  colt,  even  if  he  does  not  care  to  have  his  name  mixed 
up  with  a  horse  race,"  said  Ike. 

"  When  will  you  see  him  ? "  anxiously  said  one  of 
the  party. 

"  I'll  go  right  up  and  have  a  talk  with  him,  and  then 
we'll  know  whether  it's  a  go  or  not." 


ROY   WHITE'S   TROTTER.  193 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Glidden ;  we'll  wait  down  to  Ansel's 
until  you  get  back." 

Ike  drove  to  the  bottling  works  and  saw  the  deacon. 
After  discussing  several  matters  of  minor  importance  he 
opened  up  the  matter. 

"  Deacon  Squirm,  Roy  White  says  your  colt  is  only 
fit  for  a  woman  to  drive.  He  sneers  at  the  statement 
that  the  colt's  speedy,  and  we  would  like  to  take  the 
colt  and  get  up  a  little  match  with  Roy,"  said  Ike. 

"  Sneers  'bout  my  colt,  does  he  ?  Guess  if  I  caught 
him  on  the  road  I'd  give  him  some  dust  to  sneer  at." 

"  That's  so,  deacon,  guess  you'd  do  all  that,  but  we 
were  afraid  you'd  be  a  little  shy  about  racing  horses,  and 
we  thought  — " 

"  Shy,  guess  I  wouldn't  be  shy  of  any  horse  'round 
here  a-beatin'  me." 

"No,  I  know  that,  but  I  did  not  mean  it  in  that 
sense.  We  want  to  get  up  a  race.  Would  you  be  will 
ing  to  race  with  him.  If  you  wouldn't  I'd  pretend  to 
buy  the  colt  from  you,  and  I'd  arrange  the  terms  of  a 
race  in  my  name,  so  that  the  people  could  not  criticise 
you  for  racing  horses." 

"  Willin',  I  ain't  afear'd  of  gettin'  beat.  Don't  yer 
worry  'bout  me  gettin'  scairt  of  bein'  criticised  for  get- 
tin'  beat.  They  can't  beat  the  colt  I  tell  you. 

"  Deacon,  I  didn't  mean  that  at  all ;  it  was  something 
else  I  was  alluding  to.  Are  you  agreeable  to  a  match 
between  your  colt  and  Roy  White's  Spanish  Coin  if  I 
will  arrange  a  race?  And  I  wish  to  know  if  you  will 
agree  to  match  your  colt  against  his  horse  ?  " 

"Yes,  sirree,  I  will ;  or,  I'll  tell  you  now,  yer  can  bet 


liM  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

all  ther  money  you've  got  that  American  Dollar  can 
beat  Spanish  Coin  in  the  morn  in'  afore  he's  had  his 
fodder." 

"  Is  that  what  you  call  the  colt,  —  American  Dollar? 
Didn't  know  that  before." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  either,  but  a-bein'  as  Roy  calls  his 
horse  Spanish  Coin,  just  thought  I'd  call  mine  Ameri 
can  Dollar  ter  be  patriotic  yer  know." 

"Good  enough;  now  I'll  go  down  and  get  some  of 
the  boys  to  lay  for  Roy  and  get  him  into  line  for  a 
match.  Good  afternoon,  deacon;  I'll  see  you  just  as 
soon  as  the  thing  is  fixed,"  said  Ike  as  he  drove  away. 

Ike  told  the  boys  about  the  deacon's  willingness,  and 
satisfied  them  that  the  matter  was  all  right.  Then  came 
the  all-important  part  of  the  scheme,  —  "  How  can  we 
arrange  to  get  Roy  into  a  contest  ?  "  said  one  of  the 
boys. 

"  Oh,  that's  easy ;  a  couple  of  you  fellows  wait  for 
Roy  to-morrow  when  he  comes  for  his  mail,  and  one  of 
you  brag  up  his  horse,  and  while  one  is  puffing  him  up, 
another  of  you  say,  '  Lawyer  Glidden  says  Deacon 
Squirm's  colt  can  beat  yours  any  day,  and  offered  to  bet 
one  hundred  dollars  that  he  could.' 

"  Then  you'll  have  him  worked  up  to  a  fever  heat, 
and  I'll  come  along  while  your  talking,  and  one  of  you 
ask  me  if  it's  true  that  I  said  so,  and  from  that  on  you'll 
see  how  hot-headed  he'll  be  when  I  tell  him  that  I  said 
it  and  that  I  mean  every  word  of  it.  There'll  be  no 
trouble  to  arrange  a  bet;  you'll  see  how  he'll  tumble 
into  it,"  said  Ike. 

He  knew  that  Roy  was  impulsive  and  conceited,  and 


ROY   WHITE'S   TROTTER.  195 

could  not  stand  such  a  blunt  challenge  about  the  merits 
of  his  new  trotting  horse,  and  would  readily  enter  into 
the  contest  when  once  they  defied  him. 

The  bet  was  made,  the  money  was  deposited  in  the 
hands  of  the  post-master,  and  the  day  fixed  for  a  match 
race. 

"  Who'll  drive  the  colt  ?  The  deacon's  no  hand  to 
drive.  You'll  have  to  do  that  yourself,  Mr.  Glidden," 
said  one  of  the  party  while  they  were  discussing  plans 
for  the  race. 

"  No,  I  could  not  drive  him,  but  will  send  and  get  an 
experienced  driver  to  handle  the  colt.  We'll  get  some 
one  who  understands  his  business,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Who  can  you  get?  do  you  know  of  anybody?  "  said 
another. 

"  No,  but  I'll  telephone  to  Bangor,  and  learn  the 
name  of  some  reliable  man  that  we  can  get/' 

"  Faith,  an'  oi'll  tell  yer  the  wan  ter  git.  Sind  fer 
Jimmy,  —  Jimmy  Hope,  he's  the  wan,"  said  Dennis 
Bogan. 

"  He's  just  the  chap,"  cried  out  almost  every  one  of 
them. 

Communication  was  opened  by  telephone  with  Jimmy, 
who  was  then  at  work  in  Bar  Harbor,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  he  came  to  get  the  colt  in  readiness  for  the 
great  contest  that  was  programmed  to  take  place  in 
Blueberry  Falls. 

Squire  Blunt,  evidently  alarmed  at  the  deacon's  sport 
ing  spirit,  called  on  him  one  afternoon  and  said,  "  You 
know,  Deacon  Squirm,  that  Roy  White  has  got  the 
crack  of  the  whole  State.  His  trotter  is  thoroughly 


196  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

trained,  —  keyed  up  to  the  top  notch.  I  saw  him  this 
morning,  and  he  looks  as  fit  as  though  he  was  prepared 
to  trot  any  horse,  instead  of  an  untrained  green  country 
colt.  Things  don't  look  right ;  I'm  'fraid  some  one's 
a-foolin'  you  into  this  scrape." 

"  Bosh !    don't  know  what  you're  a-drivin'  at." 

"  I  mean  just  this,  that  I  b'lieve  that  Lawyer  Glidden 
and  Roy  White's  puttin'  up  chances  ter  play  a  trick  on 
you." 

"  Trick !  don't  you  be  af eared  of  Mr.  Glidden  or  of 
me  a-gettin'  beat." 

"  That's  a  trickster,  I  b'lieve,  and  you'll  find  him  out 
to  be  one.  He's  in  with  Roy  White  just  as  sure  as  the 
sun  shines." 

"Mr.  Glidden's  a  gen'leman,  and  my  colt  can  beat  the 
best  trotter  Roy  White  ever  did  own  or  ever  will  own. 
I'd  thank  people  ter  mind  their  own  business  and  let  my 
colt  alone,"  said  the  deacon  indignantly,  because  he  felt 
that  the  colt's  speed  had  been  brought  into  question. 

It  was  useless  to  try  to  shake  the  deacon's  confidence 
in  the  colt  or  in  Lawyer  Glidden,  so  the  squire  consoled 
himself  during  the  remainder  of  the  call  by  talking  about 
other  matters.  It  was  of  no  use;  the  deacon  was  keyed 
up  as  well  as  Roy's  trotter,  and  was  as  game  as  a  roos 
ter. 

The  race  was  to  take  place  about  three  miles  from  the 
village,  in  a  large  open  field,  where  a  track  had  been 
laid  out  the  summer  before. 

The  young  men  in  the  district  desired  a  place  where 
they  might  drive  and  break  their  colts,  and  they  leveled 
off  this  field,  turned  a  race  course  in  it,  and  secured  a 


ROY   WHITE'S   TROTTER.  197 

fairly  good  track.  It  was  not  such  a  track  as  one  sees 
at  Readfield,  but  it  would  serve  the  purpose  of  the  event 
that  was  to  take  place. 

The  match  was  the  talk  of  the  district,  and  for  many 
miles  beyond  it,  and  long  before  the  appointed  hour  peo 
ple  from  miles  around  had  arrived  on  the  field.  The 
better  class  in  the  district  had  fostered  the  spirit  of  the 
day  and  had  come  in  crowded  carriages. 

The  Squirms,  the  Duncans,  the  Garlands,  the  Ran- 
kins,  the  Bogans  and  all  the  leading  families  were  in 
attendance.  The  farmers  came  early,  with  their  families, 
and  watched  the  race  course  since  morning,  providing 
against  hunger  and  thirst  by  the  big  picnic  baskets  filled 
with  good  things,  and  even  the  horsemen  and  sporting 
fraternity  of  the  city  came  to  witness  the  contest  upon 
which  they  had  wagered  large  sums. 

Before  the  race  started  Spanish  Coin  was  a  decided 
favorite  with  the  out-of-town  horsemen  at  odds  of  two 
to  one.  Many  wagers  at  these  odds  on  the  result  of  the 
race  were  placed  by  the  Bar  Harbor  contingent,  until 
they  were  bet  to  a  standstill  by  a  party  of  residents 
headed  by  Ike  Glidden. 

Spanish  Coin  was  the  first  to  appear  on  the  track, 
and  American  Dollar  came  out  almost  immediately  after 
him.  Both  horses  and  drivers  were  given  a  hearty  re 
ception,  the  applause  rather  favoring  the  old  trotter. 

They  went  around  the  track  several  times,  warming 
up  preparatory  to  the  race,  Spanish  Coin  acting  as  though 
lie  could  trot  just  as  fast  as  he  pleased,  while  the  colt 
went  a  trifle  awkward. 

The  appearance  of  the  horses  during  the  preliminary 


198  IKE    GLIDDEN    LN    MAINE. 

work  caused  the  knowing  ones  to  prophesy  that  the  colt 
had  no  prospect  to  win.  After  the  horses  had  been 
jogged  around  several  times  the  judges  called  the  drivers 
up  to  the  rude  platform  that  was  designated  the  "  judges' 
stand,"  and  flipped  a  penny  to  determine  the  position 
the  horses  should  be  entitled  to  on  the  track  at  the  start, 
and  when  the  copper  was  picked  up  Roy  gave  his  whip 
a  firmer  grip  and  walked  away  quickly.  Jimmy  Hope 
had  won  the  toss,  and  his  colt  drew  the  pole  that  went 
with  it.  This  stroke  apparently  gave  the  friends  of  the 
colt  more  confidence  in  the  result,  as  drawing  the  pole 
was  a  position  evidently  in  favor  of  the  colt.  Cheers 
went  up  from  Ike  Glidden  and  his  associates. 

The  drivers  each  mounted  their  sulkies,  and  went  up 
the  stretch  and  turned  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
starting  wire  stretched  across  from  the  judges'  stand. 
They  scored  twice,  and  on  the  second  score  they  were 
given  the  word  "  go ! "  and  went  away  under  great 
speed.  "They're  off!  they're  off!"  was  the  cry  from 
the  throats  of  hundreds  of  interested  people.  The  horses 
were  off  in  earnest,  struggling  for  honors  and  purse. 
They  went  along  steadily,  with  scarcely  a  break  in  the 
gait  of  either,  each  holding  the  position  held  on  the 
start,  until  near  the  upper  corner  on  the  back  stretch, 
when  the  colt  broke  and  his  head  went  up  into  the  air. 
The  excitement  seemed  to  rattle  him  and  he  lost  his 
balance.  Spanish  Coin  shot  a  length  ahead  of  him  be 
fore  he  could  be  steadied  down.  To  use  a  trainer's 
expression  Spanish  Coin  literally  tramped  upon  him 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  heat.  Spanish  Coin 
captured  the  heat  in  impressive  style,  amidst  prolonged 
and  enthusiastic  cheers  and  great  excitement. 


ROY    WHITE'S   TROTTER.  199 

"  Take  the  colt  home  and  bring  out  one  of  Deacon 
Squirm's  milk  cows,"  shouted  out  Lickety  Billings. 

"  Yes,  yer  colt  can't  trot  no  more  than  a  two-year-old 
heifer,"  cried  out  Bluster  Rankin  to  the  deacon. 

"  Niver  you  mind,  deacon,  the  colt's  just  getting  ac 
quainted.  The  old  trotters  wind  will  soon  give  out, 
and  thin  ye'll  see  how  the  colt'll  bate  him  out,"  said 
Dennis  Bogan  to  the  deacon,  in  a  somewhat  consoling 
and  sympathetic  tone. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  horses,  you  old  bog  trotter,'' 
said  one  of  Roy's  friends  to  Dennis,  for  the  purpose  of 
taunting  him. 

"  Tell  him,  Dennis,  that  you  know  enough  about 
them  this  time  to  be  backing  a  horse  that  is  gaining  and 
has  enough  wind  to  finish  a  race,"  said  Ike. 

"  Who'd  pay  attinshun  ter  them  scapegoats  ?  Shure 
and  thim.  fellers  is  alwuz  on  the  wrong  side  of  ivery 
thing,"  said  Dennis. 

"  What  those  fellows  say,  Dennis,  is  not  worth  pay 
ing  any  attention  to,  and  I'd  let  them  shout." 

"Maybe  the  colt  is  going  ter  get  beat,  Dennis,  so  I'd 
keep  quiet,"  said  the  deacon,  who  was  becoming  dis 
couraged  since  the  colt  lost  the  first  heat. 

"  Don't  you  be  afther  gettin'  waik  in  the  knees  ;  bless 
me  sowl !  ther  colt's  got  more  wind  than  the  whole  of 
thim  'cept  Bluster.  I  lint  him  farty  dollars  one  time, 
an'  whin  I  axed  him  fer  it,  he  called  me  all  the  mane 
creeturs  yer  iver  heerd.  That's  what's  the  matter  with 
him.  But  I'd  lind  him  another  farty  if  I  was  shure 
ov  ther  colt  batin'  ther  throtter.  Daycan,  it  bates  ther 
divil  how  thim  vagabon's  kape  round  that  disayse  ol* 


200  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

throtter.  There  isn't  a  daycent  wan  av  the  byes  here 
but  what  is  wid  ther  colt,  daycan,"  said  Dennis. 

In  time  the  shouting  and  provoking  taunts  ended,  and 
the  crowd  began  to  look  forward  to  the  commencement 
of  the  next  chapter  of  the  race. 

In  the  second  heat  American  Dollar  had  scarcely  a 
skip  charged  against  him,  and  the  crowd  felt  that  there 
was  something  mysterious  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
began  to  lead  the  experienced  trotter,  after  they  were 
but  a  few  lengths  from  the  wire.  The  colt  showed  a 
wonderful  burst  of  speed,  and  seemed  to  hold  tip  his 
clip  with  great  pluck  and  assurance.  Roy  attempted  to 
apply  the  whip  and  force  his  horse  up  onto  the  colt,  but 
when  rounding  into  the  home  stretch  his  horse  broke, 
and  suddenly  went  to  a  wild  swerving  break  that  car 
ried  him  to  the  complete  outside  of  the  track.  It  was 
needless  to  urge  him ;  he  required  speed  more  than  he 
did  the  whip  to  carry  him  to  victory. 

"Whe-e-ew!  whe-e-ew !  Look  at  Spanish  Coin!" 
cried  one  of  the  impulsive  adherents  of  Roy's  horse. 

The  break  settled  the  result  of  the  heat,  as  all  the 
colt  had  to  do  was  to  hold  to  his  clip  to  the  wire. 
Cheers,  yells,  hurrahs  for  Jimmy,  filled  the  air.  The 
colt  won  the  heat.  The  deacon  was  crazed  with  pride. 
Dennis,  swinging  his  hat,  was  making  himself  hoarse, 
"  What  d'yer  think  of  that,  Bluster  ?  "  The  boys  were 
wild  with  excitement.  Betting  began  anew,  and  the 
stock  of  the  colt  went  up  to  an  even  mark  with  the  old 
trotter.  The  cheers  and  greets  of  Katy  Brown,  "  I 
know'd  you'd  beat  him,  Jim  !  "  were  drowned  in  the 
commotion  that  was  created  by  the  animated  throng, 


ROY    WHITE'S   TROTTER.  201 

gathered  around  the  winner  of  the  heat,  to  shower  flat 
tery  and  praises  on  the  colt  and  driver.  There  was 
more  than  one  row  by  some  of  the  pugnacious  ones  who 
considered  their  opinions  infallible,  and  did  not  propose 
to  have  them  questioned;  but  there  was  nothing  really 
serious.  The  horses  were  called  for  the  next  heat  and 
quietness  again  reigned  supreme.  The  eager  crowd 
waited,  with  hearts  beating,  to  see  the  exploits  of  the 
coming  test,  which  would  decide  the  battle. 

When  the  horses  were  called  up  to  start  in  the  third 
and  final  heat  they  got  the  word  "  go  !  "  on  the  first  time 
they  scored  down  to  the  wire.  American  Dollar  looked 
his  best  as  he  led  the  way  down  to  the  back  stretch, 
trotting  with  barely  a  ripple  in  his  action,  and  with  his 
thin,  blood-like  ears  pricked  and  playing  cheerfully  like 
a  horse  that  is  enjoying  a  spin.  Spanish  Coin  braced 
up  a  bit,  and  the  tall,  rakish-looking  horse,  with  ears 
laid  back  sulkily,  began  to  gain  slowly,  yet  steadily,  on 
the  breezy  little  colt  he  was  chasing.  When  rounding 
the  upper  turn  Spanish  Coin  drove  wide,  and  on  swing 
ing  into  the  head  of  the  home  stretch  was  trotting  a 
storm.  As  he  struck  the  straight  work  he  was  half  a 
head  by  the  colt.  The  friends  of  Roy's  horse  went  wild 
with  delight.  The  colt  developed  another  burst,  that 
had  evidently  been  held  in  reserve,  and  went  faster  than 
he  had  ever  done  at  any  other  stage  of  the  race.  The 
horse  was  holding  steady  up  to  his  clip,  but  it  could  be 
easily  seen  that  he  was  "  all  in,"  and  the  colt  was  just 
holding  his  position  with  him.  It  did  not  seem  that  the 
colt  would  have  the  luck  to  win.  Another  burst  from 
the  colt,  and  he  was  head  and  head  with  the  horse. 


202  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

The  horse  struggled  gamily.  Then  came  the  decisive 
moment,  when  the  conquering  colt  swept  under  the  wire 
by  a  nose  ahead  of  the  trotter,  and  all  decorum  was 
brushed  aside.  The  extreme  excitement,  cheers  and 
yells  were  beyond  comprehension.  They  shouted,  yelled, 
and  it  was  pandemonium  unrestrained.  A  scene  of 
wildest  confusion  ensued,  when  the  judges  announced, 
"  American  Dollar  wins  the  heat  and  race." 

Men  and  women  both  swarmed  out  to  the  track,  and 
surrounded  Jimmy,  and  again  cheered  for  the  colt  and 
the  boy  driver. 

"  I  can't  get  near  Jimmy  to  give  him  this  bouquet  of 
flowers.  Won't  you  be  kind  enough,  Mr.  (ilidden,  to 
hand  it  to  him  ?  "  said  Katy  Brown,  as  she  elbowed  her 
way  through  the  multitude,  trying  to  get  within  sight 
of  the  boy  that  she  admired. 

"  Let  me  get  my  arms  'round  that  colt's  neck.  He's 
a  darlin',"  cried  Mrs.  Squirm,  as  she  pushed  herself  into 
the  circle  of  people  gathered  round  the  champion  of 
the  race. 

"  I  know'd  he'd  beat,"  yelled  out  the  deacon,  as  he 
shook  hands  with  Ike  in  a  hearty  and  exhilaratory  man 
ner. 

"  How  minny  o'  their  chaps  is  wid  Roy  now.  It's 
aisy  ter  see  how  minny  frien's  the  ould  throtter  has  now. 
Not  even  wan  iv  them  is  wid  him ;  he's  all  alone. 
Poor  fellow  !  it's  too  bad ;  won't  some  wan  be  koind 
enougli  fer  ther  sake  of  the  poor  baste  ter  go  and  help 
im  put  the  blanket  on  his  old  nag.  Where  is  his  friend 
Bluster?"  said  Dennis  Bogan,  so  elated  at  the  result  of 
the  race  that  he  was  trying  to  take  colt,  driver  and  sulky 
in  his  arms. 


ROY   WHITE'S   TROTTER.  203 

u  Oh,  Bluster  and  his  chums  are  in  that  crowd  you 
see  starting  for  home,"  said  Ike. 

The  result  of  the  race  created  a  sensation  among  the 
horsemen  present. 

"  How  much  will  you  take  for  that  colt  ?  "  inquired 
one  of  them  of  the  deacon. 

"  I'll  keep  him  's  long's  I  live  ;  wouldn't  be  tempted 
ter  sell  him  for  any  money." 

The  close  of  the  day  was  one  of  the  happiest  ever  felt 
by  Ike,  and  one  of  the  proudest  in  the  simple  and  un 
eventful  life  of  Deacon  Squirm,  and  the  result  of  the 
race  probably  had  a  tendency  to  take  from  Roy  the  de 
sire  to  pose  as  king  of  the  road. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE  BURGLARY. 

rriHE  days  were  full  of  diversion  and  excitement  for 
I  Ike  in  his  role  of  lawyer  and  two  years  sped  by  as 
on  lightning  wing.  During  this  time  he  had  established 
a  reputation  as  a  collector  second  only  to  his  fame  as  an 
adjuster  of  grievances  between  the  country  people  and 
to  his  common-sense  method  of  expounding  the  law. 

Twice  he  had  journeyed  to  the  old  home  ;  once  to  re 
deem  the  mortgage  that  threatened  his  mother's  home, 
and  again  to  do  a  like  service  for  the  Jones  family, 
whose  homestead  was  all  but  lost  to  them  by  the  lapse 
of  an  insignificant  mortgage  given  by  Jones  ere  his 
health  failed  and  his  boy  Dicky  went  off  to  the  West 
never  to  return. 

While  Ike  was  proud  of  his  success  as  a  lawyer  he 
took  still  greater  pride  in  the  fact  of  his  having  been 
the  instigator  of  Deacon  Squirm's  highly  successful  en 
terprise.  He  gave  much  of  his  attention  to  the  deacon's 
affairs,  and  consequently  called  there  frequently  to  ad 
vise  with  him  as  to  the  proper  methods  by  which  to  ob 
tain  the  best  results  in  conducting  the  "  bitter  indus- 
try." 

In  the  course  of  a  few  months  after  Deacon  Squirm's 
extravagant  purchase  of  the  large  safe,  two  strangers 
came  to  Squirmtown.  One  came  ostensibly  for  his 

204 


THE   BURGLARY.  205 

health,  and  the  other  was  his  companion  and  attendant. 
Both  were  much  interested  in  religious  work,  and  at 
tended  and  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  meetings  held 
in  the  village.  They  were  guests  at  the  hotel,  and  after 
a  while  complained  to  the  deacon  about  the  board,  and 
asked  if  he  would  kindly  take  them  to  his  house  for  a 
few  weeks,  assuring  him  that  it  would  be  a  favor  money 
could  not  measure.  As  they  were  Christians  he  of 
course  sympathized  wth  them,  and  very  willingly  invited 
them  to  make  their  home  with  him  during  the  remainder 
of  their  stay 

During  the  first  part  of  their  sojourn  with  the  deacon 
special  pains  were  taken  to  show  them  about  the  house 
and  the  bottling  establishment  to  impress  them  with  the 
extraordinary  sign  of  the  deacon's  wealth,  and  their  pray 
ers  were  offered  that  he  might  always  be  prosperous  and 
have  abundance. 

The  greater  part  of  their  time  was  given  to  strolling 
about  the  groves  and  over  the  hills,  little  of  it  being 
spent  with  the  deacon  or  his  wife,  except  during  meal 
hours. 

The  guests  received  a  letter  one  morning  that  brought 
the  sad  intelligence  of  the  death  of  the  brother  of  the 
invalid  boarder,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  a  hasty 
departure.  They  paid  the  deacon  liberally  for  board 
and  entertainment,  and  in  addition  prayed  that  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Squirm  would  always  have  the  blessing  of  a  kind 
providence  for  the  hospitality  bestowed  on  them  during 
their  stay  in  the  village. 

When  they  had  departed  Mrs.  Squirm  expressed  great 
sorrow  for  the  poor  individual  that  had  been  called  to 


206  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

witness  the  burial  of  a  brother,  and  the  deacon  declared, 
"  If  there  ever  wuz  two  Christians,  both  of  'em  gen'le- 
men  be." 

The  deacon  was  extremely  busy  each  day  in  his  rapidly 
expanding  business,  and  had  little  time  to  give  thoughts 
to  the  proper  care  of  the  large  amount  of  money  that  he 
received  in  return  for  the  great  shipments  of  bitters.  He 
believed  that  the  money  was  reasonably  secure  in  the  new 
safe,  but  sometimes  felt  a  sense  of  anxiety  about  it.  lie 
neglected,  however,  for  several  weeks  to  deposit  his 
funds  at  a  bank,  so  that  quite  a  sum  of  money  was  ac 
cumulating. 

Although  he  occasionally  felt  a  little  alarmed  about 
having  the  money  there  he  was  so  engrossed  in  the  de 
tails  of  his  work  that  his  going  to  the  city  to  place  his 
money  with  a  banking  institution  was  strangely  delayed. 

Ike  Glidden  and  Mandy  Garland  were  invited  to  the 
deacon's  to  tea,  and  while  there  the  deacon  became  quite 
confidential  with  Ike  and  told  him  how  he  had  neglected 
to  go  to  the  bank  for  some  weeks.  He  spoke  of  some 
little  uneasiness  he  was  beginning  to  foster  about  the 
safety  of  such  an  amount  of  money  in  that  rural  commu 
nity,  and  declared  that  he  must  go  to  the  city  the  next 
day  and  attend  to  his  banking  business. 

Ike  manifested  great  surprise  at  the  deacon's  practice 
of  keeping  large  sums  of  money  in  an  ordinary  safe. 
When  he  was  leaving  he  advised  the  deacon  not  to  de 
lay  such  an  important  trip,  and  urged  him  to  be  sure 
and  go  the  next  day  and  deposit  his  money  regardless  of 
other  business  engagements. 

That  night  about  half-past  eleven  o'clock  Mrs.  Squirm 


THE   BURGLAEY.  207 

awoke  with  a  sudden  start,  and  poking  the  deacon  in 
the  ribs  said,  "  Deacon,  what  on  earth's  that  noise  ? 
Sounds  like's  a  cannon  went  off.  Wonder  what  it  can 
be  ?  " 

The  deacon,  almost  fast  asleep,  answered,  "  Oh,  it's 
nawthin'  but  the  sound  of  a  gun.  Maybe  some  of  the 
boys  is  out  a-shootin'  deer,"  and  then  they  both  dozed 
off  and  slept  soundly  until  morning. 

In  the  morning  when  the  hired  man  came  to  open  the 
bottling  works  he  saw  that  the  glass  in  one  of  the  win 
dows  of  the  building  was  broken,  and  upon  entering  the 
building  found  that  the  doors  had  been  blown  off  the 
safe,  and  that  its  contents  were  scattered  over  the  floor. 
He  immediately  went  to  inform  the  deacon  of  the  rob 
bery,  who  without  waiting  to  answer  his  wife's  curious 
and  nervous  questions,  in  his  excitement  started  in  his 
nightshirt  to  the  scene  of  the  depredation. 

It  was  not  long  until  the  whole  neighborhood  had 
gathered,  and  the  most  intense  excitement  prevailed.  A 
search  among  the  papers  and  contents  of  the  safe  failed 
to  reveal  bank  books,  precious  documents  and  valuable- 
papers  intrusted  by  the  people  throughout  the  district  to 
the  deacon  for  safe-keeping. 

The  men  who  had  intrusted  their  securities  to  Deacon 
Squirm  were  frantic  with  excitement ;  many  of  them  ac 
cused  the  deacon  of  planning  to  rob  them,  and  while 
the  deacon  wrung  his  hands  and  tore  his  hair  over  his 
own  immediate  loss,  many  among  them  were  planning 
to  lynch  the  deacon  or  to  torture  him  into  confession. 

;'If  only  Lawyer  Glidden  was  here,"  said  the  deacon 
in  his  misery. 


208  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"  Send  for  him  to  help  us  to  find  the  robbers." 

"Ike  Glidden?"  spoke  up  Bluster  Hankin  ;  "I  mot 
him  on  the  road  to  Bangor  and  he  was  driving  like  all 
possessed.  I  hailed  him,  but  he  made  no  reply." 

Immediately  the  excitement  was  intensified.  Several 
hastened  in  to  Blueberry  Falls  to  see  if  any  light  could 
be  shed  upon  Ike's  actions.  They  returned  with  in 
formation  that  solved  the  mystery.  Ike  Glidden  left 
Blueberry  Falls  in  the  dead  of  night,  driving  like  mad, 
and  without  a  word  to  anybody  to  explain  his  sudden 
departure.  "  There's  where  our  money  has  gone,"'  ex 
plained  Deacon  Squirm.  "  We've  nursed  a  viper,  and 
he's  stung  us."  The  mysterious  disappearance  of  Ike 
caused  general  consternation. 

"I  knowed  all  the  time  that  he  was  a  crook,"  said 
Lickety  Billings.  "  lie  had  all  the  marks  of  it  ;  when 
I  see  a  crook  I  know  it ;  you  can't  fool  me." 

"  You  must  make  a  dose  study  of  yourself,"  said 
Dennis  Bogan,  "to  be  so  well  eddicated,  and  to  be  sn 
well  up  on  the  knowledge  about  crooks;  and  you,  Dea 
con  Squirm,  if  it  wasn't  that  you  practised  hypocrisy  all 
yer  life  you'd  know  an  honest  man  when  yer  saw  one. 
Oike  Glidden  is  not  a  robber,  and  you'll  find  it  out 
some  time." 

"  Hear  that  gabblin'  old  Irishman,''  said  Bluster  Ran- 
kin.  "  Ike  Glidden  must  er  spoke  pleasant  to  him  some 
time,  and  Ike  could  commit  any  crime  after  that  and 
Dennis  couldn't  see  any  harm  in  it.  Can't  tell  me  he 
ain't  a  thief.  I  remember  how  he  soaked  me  every  time 
I  put  any  confidence  in  him." 

"  Go  'long,  you  mane  lot  of  people,  ter  be  puttin'  this 


THE   BURGLARY.  209 

on  that  man.  Oike  Glidden  niver  chated  a  widder 
woman  out  of  her  oundly  boss.  If  you  had  what's  com 
ing  to  ye,  it's  a  long  while  ago  you'd  be  talkin'  through 
the  bars  yersilf." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  Ansel  Hicks.  "  Glidden 
always  struck  me  as  a  peculiar  character.  He  came 
here  an  entire  stranger ;  nobody  ever  hearn  tell  of  him 
afore,  and  no  one  ever  could  find  out  where  he  came 
from.  He  did  get  ahead  mighty  fast.  If  he  didn't  rob 
that  safe  what  did  he  run  away  for  ?  " 

"  Honest  men  don't  run  away,"  said  Ame  Blibbers. 

"  Let's  offer  a  reward  for  the  capture  of  Ike  Glidden, 
dead  or  alive,"  said  Ben  Duncan. 

"  The  Lord  give  yer  sense,  yer  pack  of  tin-faced 
idiots,"  said  Dennis,  as  he  left  the  crowd  in  disgust  and 
wended  his  way  homeward. 

Notice  of  the  robbery  was  forwarded  to  all  the  cities, 
and  a  reward  was  posted  for  the  capture  of  Ike  Glidden. 

About  a  week  after  the  burglary  Deacon  Squirm  re 
ceived  a  telegram  from  the  chief  of  police  in  Boston, 
asking  him  to  go  there  at  once  and  identify  a  strange 
character  held  on  suspicion  for  robbing  his  safe,  and  to 
prove  ownership  of  certain  property  found  in  his  posses 
sion.  A  report  spread  throughout  the  district  like  wild 
fire  that  they  had  arrested  Ike  Glidden.  The  deacon 
was  hurried  off  in  response  to  the  request  of  the  author 
ities  in  Boston,  and  on  his  arrival  there  he  said  to  the 
officer,  "  Got  that  Glidden,  have  yer?  " 

"  Yes,  if  that's  his  name." 

"  Le'm  me  see  him,"  continued  the  deacon,  as  they 
proceeded  to  the  cell  where  tne  prisoner  was  confined. 


210  IKE  GL1DDKN  IN  MAINE. 

"  Ho,  this  is  the  man  what  was  boardin'  witli  me.  This 
man  never  did  nothiiv  like  that ;  he's  a  Christian  and 
I  can  vouch  for  him.  This  is  too  bad  to  have  an  honest 
man  in  here.  Ain't  yer  got  Glidden?  He's  the  man 
we're  after." 

"  No,  this  is  the  only  man  we've  got,  and  the  way  we 
happened  to  get  this  sanctimonious-looking  chap  was 
through  a  policeman  at  the  Northern  Depot.  As  the 
Montreal  express  train,  that  runs  up  through  the  Ver 
mont  division,  was  hauling  out,  a  man,  hurrying  to  get 
the  train,  said  to  the  policeman,  '  Here's  a  crook  ahead 
of  me  boarding  that  train  ;  arrest  him,  and  search  his 
grip  and  I  think  you'll  find  he's  got  some  plunder  that 
he  took  from  a  place  in  Maine  that  was  burglarized.' 

"  The  policeman  promptly  arrested  him,,  seized  his 
grip  and  searched  him,  and  found  a  number  of  articles 
in  it  that  looked  suspicious,  and  as  he  was  unable  to 
make  any  satisfactory  explanation  of  his  vocation  he  was 
locked  up  in  hopes  that  he  might  be  able  to  connect  him 
with  some  of  the  breaks  in  Maine  that  were  being  re 
ported.  While  arresting  the  minister  the  policeman 
called  to  the  stranger  that  gave  him  the  tip  to  remain 
and  give  him  some  further  information  about  the  pris 
oner,  but  the  train  was  just  then  hauling  out,  and  all 
the  policeman  could  hear  was,  *  My  mother's  sick  and  I 
can't  stay  over  until  the  next  train.  He  robbed  a  safe 
in  -  — ,  Maine.'  The  name  of  the  place  where  the 
robbery  had  taken  place  the  policeman  did  not  seem  to 
comprehend. 

"  How  did  yer  come  ter  send  fer  me  ?  "  inquired  the 
deacon. 


THE    BURGLARY.  211 

"  We  found  your  name  in  several  of  the  documents  in 
his  grip,  and  then  concluded  to  telegraph  for  you  to 
come  and  see  if  the  articles  had  been  stolen  from  you," 
said  the  official. 

"  Documents  yer  found  in  his  grip  belongin'  ter  me  I 
Guess  yer  must  er  be  mistakin'.  I  didn't  give  him  nothin' 
of  the  kind  when  he  was  down  there.  Him  and  'nother 
man,  his  companion,  was  down  to  my  place  and  boarded 
with  me,  and  they  are  real  gen'lemen.  Don't  think  it 
can  be  possible  fer  any  one  ter  b'lieve  either  of  them 
gen'lemen  oughter  be  locked  up.  Think  it's  too  bad  ter 
be  keepin'  him  locked  up ;  it's  Mr.  Glidden  we  want," 
said  the  deacon,  even  then  not  willing  to  believe  the 
prisoner  had  anything  to  with  the  robbing  of  his  safe. 

"  There  was  another  man  the  policeman  thought  was 
with  him  when  he  made  the  arrest.  The  matter  came 
up  in  such  a  hurry,  just  as  the  train  was  about  to  leave, 
that  he  had  no  opportunity  to  call  another  officer  or 
probably  he'd  also  have  had  his  companion.  We  were 
lucky  to  get  him  when  we  did,  as  he  had  a  ticket  for 
Montreal  in  his  pocket.  Here's  some  of  the  stun0  we 
found  in  his  valise  ;  did  you  ever  see  any  of  it  before  ?  " 
said  the  officer. 

"  By  Criminy,  if  here  ain't  ther  things  stole  out  o' 
my  safe  the  night  I  was  robbed,"  cried  the  deacon  in 
utter  astonishment  when  he  saw  the  contents  of  the 
minister's  grip.  It  was  with  some  little  difficulty  that 
the  officer  convinced  the  deacon  that  the  valuables  were 
found  in  the  possession  of  the  prisoner,  and  that  the 
ministerial-appearing  individual  was  a  man  with  an  es 
tablished  police  record,  and  was  well  known  to  the 
guardians  of  the  peace  in  nearly  all  the  principal  cities. 


212  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

Deacon  Squirm  returned  from  Boston  in  a  high  state 
of  jubilation,  with  all  the  funds  and  valuable  documents 
that  had  been  taken  from  his  safe.  Squirmtown  and 
the  surrounding  country  was  convulsed  with  joy  and 
wonder  at  the  mysterious  turn  of  affairs,  but  still  the 
suspicion  clung  to  Ike.  E  very  body  with  the  exception 
of  Dennis  Bogan,  Tim  Cronin  and  Jimmy  Hope  ex 
pressed  their  belief  that  Ike's  disappearance  was  con 
nected  with  the  robbery  and  that  he  had  been  in  league 
with  the  man  arrested,  and  had  taken  himself  off  to 
avoid  discovery  and  arrest. 

While  the  excitement  attending  the  discovery  of  the 
burglary  had  been  at  its  highest  pitch,  Tim  Cronin, 
half  stupefied  with  drink,  lounged  about  the  villages, 
taking  about  as  much  interest  in  affairs  as  would  a  man 
walking  in  his  sleep.  But  gradually  it  dawned  upon 
Tim  that  Ike's  name  was  under  a  cloud,  and  when  he 
heard  Ike's  reputation  assailed  it  aroused  him  from  his 
lethargy  like  a  galvanic  shock. 

"  Look  here  now,"  said  he  to  the  crowd  that  sat  in 
Ansel  Hicks'  store,  busily  convicting  Ike  of  a  crime, 
"  Look  here  now,  Tim  Cronin  never  prided  himself  that 
he  was  a  saint.  I've  been  a  disgrace  to  my  decent 
parents,  that  did  all  their  honest  hearts  could  do  to 
make  a  decent  man  of  me,  and  I  hain't  much  credit  to 
any  town  or  to  any  man,  but  thank  God  I  haven't  de 
scended  yet  to  that  level  reached  by  you,  who  call  your 
selves  respectable.  I  never  slandered  a  man  ;  I  never 
searched  for  circumstantial  evidence  to  pin  suspicion  to 
one  whose  life,  so  far  as  this  community  knows,  has 
been  one  of  charity  and  honesty  and  manliness.  And  I 


THE  BURGLARY.  213 

want  to  say  to  you  here,  one  and  all  of  you,  that  the 
next  man  who  says  a  word  against  Ike  Glidden's  char 
acter  has  got  to  fight.  You  understand  what  that 
means,"  said  Tim,  glaring  around  at  each  individual, 
"  and  I  ain't  particular  how  soon  the  fight  begins.'' 

The  owner  of  the  building  in  which  Ike  had  his  office 
complained  that,  if  he  should  fail  to  receive  some  money 
without  further  delay  in  payment  of  the  rent  that  had 
accrued,  he  would  be  obliged  to  sell  the  furniture  and 
books  at  sheriff's  sale. 

"How  much  is  due  you?  "  demanded  Dennis  Bogan, 
who  chanced  to  hear  the  threatening  remark  of  the 
landlord. 

"  Lemme  see,  'tis  'bout  six  months  sence  he  run 
'way,  an'  that  'ud  be  twenty-five  dollars,"  the  landlord 
responded. 

"  Here's  yer  moonny,"  said  Dennis  somewhat  ex 
citedly,  "  an'  I'll  garanty  the  rint  fer  ther  nixt  six 
months." 

Before  the  expiration  of  the  next  rent  term  Dennis' 
faith  in  the  prospect  of  Ike's  return  commenced  to  grow 
faint.  The  fact  that  Ike  had  not  even  written  to  any 
body  there  caused  Dennis  to  feel  that  he  had  met  with 
some  mishap  and  might  never  be  heard  of  again.  While 
his  faith  in  Ike's  honor  and  integrity  was  not  shaken  in 
the  least,  he  concluded  that  if  there  was  no  real  prospect 
of  his  immediate  return  it  was  a  needless  expense  to 
maintain  an  office  for  him  any  longer,  and  removed  his 
furniture,  books  and  papers  to  his  house,  where  he  care 
fully  stored  them  until  such  time  as  they  might  be 
called  for  by  Ike  or  his  heirs. 


214  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

Mandy  Garland  went  herself  each  day  to  receive  the 
family  mail.  The  young  lady's  eyes  swelled  with 
mortification  and  a  sense  of  wounded  pride  as  day  after 
day  passed  and  there  was  no  letter  addressed  to  her  from 

*/      i- 

Ike.  The  apology  and  profuse  excuses  which  had 
been  counted  upon  at  first,  came  by  and  by  to  be  re 
garded  with  contempt.  The  idea  that  she  should  some 
morning  be  surprised  by  a  large  square  envelope,  and  be 
in  no  doubt  for  a  single  second  as  to  from  whom  it 
came,  faded  away.  "  He  will  write  some  day  or  other," 
reiterated  Mandy  with  unabated  confidence  for  a  time. 
"  It  is  very  bad  conduct  I  allow ;  but  I  have  confidence 
that  he  will  surely  write  to  me." 

What  Mandy  thought  of  Ike's  sudden  departure  no 
body  there  was  able  to  learn,  although  A  me  Blibbers 
called  at  the  Garland  homestead  and  vainly  tried  to  learn 
her  feelings  in  the  matter.  The  most  encouragement 
Ame  received  was  when  she  said,  "  Mr.  Blibbers,  I  do 
hope  and  pray  that  some  day  we  will  learn  that  Lawj'er 
Glidden  is  not  the  deceitful  character  that  circumstances 
now  make  him  appear." 

"  You  heard,  then,  about  his  bein'  married?"  Ame 
said. 

"  Yes,  I  did  hear  some  talk  to  that  effect,  Mr.  Blib 
bers,"  she  answered.  "•  But  the  conversation  was  be 
tween  Mr.  Billings  and  Mr.  Rankin,  and  I  know  they 
never  had  a  kind  word  for  Lawyer  Glidden  since  ho 
openly  accused  them  of  villainous  traits." 

The  Widow  Garland  and  her  daughter  left  home  a 
few  months  after  Ike's  disappearance.  While  they  were 
making  preparations  for  the  trip  Mandy  said  to  her 


THE   BURGLARY.  215 

mother,  "  There  must  be  a  reason.  He  has  met  with 
some  fatality  or  he  would  write."  While  still  a  long- 
way  off  she  could  mark,  or  fancied  she  could  mark,  the 
gathering  doubt,  the  surprise  which  his  appearance 
would  create.  It  was  the  same,  even  after  she  went 
away ;  for  many  days  she  expected  a  letter  from  him. 

Years  flew  by  and  no  explanation  of  Ike's  departure 
or  his  whereabouts  came  back  to  Blueberry  Falls,  and 
with  the  increasing  growth  and  population  and  every 
increasing  industrial  prominence  of  the  blueberry  towns, 
Ike's  personality  became  a  shadowy  memory  in  the 
minds  of  most  of  the  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

KING    OF    THE    BARRENS. 

THE  post-office  at  Squirmtown  was  kept  in  a  grocery 
store,  where  one  corner  of  the  building  was  reserved 
for  the  boxes  and  pigeon-holes  which    constituted   the 
postal  department  of  that  section. 

The  mail  was  due  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
and  a  crowd  usually  gathered  in  front  of  the  store  to 
welcome  the  stage  as  it  halted  to  deliver  its  precious 
freight. 

On  its  arrival  the  driver  pompously  threw  out  the 
mail-bags,  and  then  with  a  degree  of  loftiness  imparted 
to  the  people  the  bits  of  news  gathered  along  his  route. 
The  post-master  with  an  air  of  importance  carried  the 
pouches  containing  the  mail  into  the  office,  dumped  the 
contents  on  the  counter,  sorted  the  papers  and  letters  in 
the  pigeon-holes,  and  announced  in  a  loud  voice,  "  The 
mail's  open'd."  The  throng  formed  in  line,  and  filed  by 
slowly.  Each  one  in  his  turn  paused  before  the  post 
master,  he  knew  them  all,  but  they  announced  theli 
names,  and  sometimes  the  names  of  neighbors  who  in 
trusted  to  them  the  duty  of  bringing  their  mail.  On 
the  occasion  of  opening  the  mail  it  was  the  custom  ai:d 
practice  of  almost  every  individual  in  the  district  to 
crowd  into  the  store,  and  not  to  move  until  the  ceremony 
of  distributing  the  mail  was  over.  The  majority  of  those 

210 


KING  OF  THE  BARRENS.  217 

in  waiting  had  never  received  a  letter  and  never  ex 
pected  to  receive  one,  yet  they  each  inquired  for  mail 
night  after  night  in  the  same  manner  as  those  who  were 
accustomed  to  receive  letters. 

They  went  there,  chiefly  from  force  of  habit,  to  ex 
change  the  gossip  of  the  village.  They  discussed  the 
news  of  the  day  while  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the 
stage,  and  when  the  postman  in  answer  to  their  inquiry 
responded,  "  No  mail  ter-night,"  they  wended  their  way 
homeward,  apparently  with  the  same  satisfied  demeanor 
as  though  they  had  been  the  recipients  of  innumerable 
letters  and  papers. 

One  evening  while  the  crowd  were  congregated  at  the 
store,  Sile  Lombard,  who  was  sitting  on  the  counter, 
said,  "  So  the  Widder  Gaiian'  an'  her  dar'ter  is  in  Cal'- 
forny.  What  in  earth  be  they  a-doin'  away  out  there  ?  " 

"  Dunno ;  but  some  one  sed,  you  know,  that  their 
a-goiii'  ter  git  a  fortune.  It's  been  a  sort  o'  traditshun 
for  long  time  they  wuz  a-goin'  ter  git  a  legacy.  'Bout 
fifteen  year  ago  there  wuz  letters  and  papers  come  sayin' 
what  they'd  git  an  old  miner's  money,  what  went  'round 
the  Horn  in  '49  and  died  rich.  That  rumor  died  out, 
and  every  four  or  five  year  it  is  brought  out  fresh  and 
new  ;  I  hain't  heerd  nothin'  'bout  it  for  this  five  year,  so 
I  guess  it's  all  died  out.  They  prob'bly  just  went  there 
tor  git  work,  and  now  folks  is  a  gabblin'  agin  about  that 
fortune,  just  because  they  happened  to  gone  ter  Cal'- 
forny,"  responded  the  old  man  Rankin. 

"  Oh,  that's  all  nonsense ;  they  hain't  goin'  ter  git  no 
fortune,  no  mor'n  I  be,  and  all  my  folks  died  poorer'n  I 
be.  Why,  thought  folks  said  'cause  they  went  away  so 
kind  o'  quietly,  and  didn't  say  much  'bout  it,  that  they 


218  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

went  out  West  where  that  air  Glidden  went  to,"  said 
Sile. 

"  I  know  they  said  something  of  that  kind,  but  then  I 
don't  b'lieve  they  ever  heard  from  Glidden  after  he 
skipped  out.  'Twarn't  so ;  they  never  follered  up  that 
scapegoat  of  a  Glidden.  I  think  it  was  gettin'  kind  o' 
hard  here  fer  the  widder  ter  git  a  livin",  and  I  guess 
they  went  away  ter  git  employment.  That's  all  ]  the 
fortune  they've  got  is  just  the  same  as  the  rest  of  us, 
what  has  ter  work  for  all  we  git,"  continued  the  old 
man  Rankin. 

"  What's  eggs  wuth  now,  Steeve  ?  "  inquired  Sile. 

"  Ten  cents  a  dozen,"  answered  the  post-master  and 
store-keeper. 

"  Prutty  cheap,  hain't  they?"  said  Sile,  "accordin' 
ter  the  way  corn  is  a-sellin'.  Phew  !  meal  'ill  be  a  dol 
lar  a  bushel  'fore  winter.  That  puts  me  in  mind  of  the 
year  they  tell  'bout  Ame  Blibber's  wife.  Yer  know  she's 
as  close  as  the  bark  ter  a  tree,  and  once  when  meal  wux 
high,  she  wuz  complainin'  about  how  much't  cost  ter 
feed  her  hens,  an'  she  wuzn't  gettin'  many  eggs.  Some 
one  told  her  ter  mix  a  little  sawdust  with  ther  meal  and 
'twould  be  just  as  well  for  the  hens,  bein'  as  meal  wuz 
so  high.  Next  mornin'  she  mixed  a  little  sawdust  with 
ther  meal,  an'  the  hens  'ppeared  ter  eat  it  just's  well  's 
they  did  when  it  was  all  meal.  So  she  thought  it  'twas 
fustrate,  an'  the  next  day  she  put  in  a  little  more  saw 
dust,  and  a  little  less  meal,  an'  that  seemed  ter  go  all 
right.  So  she  kept  on,  each  day  a-puttin'  in  a  little 
more  sawdust  and  a  little  less  meal,  and  ther  hens  seem'd 
ter  take  ter  it  fust  class.  And  bumby  it  got  so's  'twuz  all 


KING  OF  THE  BARRENS.  219 

sawdust  and  no  meal.  And  she  sot  a  dozen  o'  the  eggs 
what  her  hens  laid  under  a  broody  hen,  and  she  hatched 
out  'leven  woodpeckers  and  a  chicken  with  a  wooden 
leg." 

"  Haw  !  haw  !  haw  !  "  roared  the  crowd  when  Sile 
had  linished  his  parody  on  Mrs.  Blibber's  hens.  About 
the  time  the  laughter  had  subsided  Jimmy  Hope,  who 
had  just  returned  from  Bar  Harbor  for  a  few  days'  va 
cation,  came  into  the  store.  Everybody  regarded  him 
with  a  kind  of  surprised  curiosity,  from  the  fact  that  he 
had  figured  in  so  many  sensational  features  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  village,  and  everybody  stepped  aside  to  give 
him  pathway  through  the  throng.  His  return  home  was 
an  event  in  the  little  community.  When  everybody  had 
shaken  hands  with  him,  and  he  became  relieved  of  an 
swering  further  questions  about  his  new  vocation,  he 
somewhat  attracted  the  attention  of  all  present  by  asking 
in  his  usual  loud  voice,  "  Where's  Tim  Cronin  ?  haven't 
seen  him  around  to-night  ?  " 

"  Haw  !  haw  !  haw !  "  roared  a  half-dozen  voices  as  an 
attempt  was  made  to  create  a  laugh  at  the  mere  mention 
of  Tim's  name.  "  Hain't  you  heerd  'bout  Tim's  dream  ?  " 
said  Sile  Lombard  in  a  half -sarcastic  tone. 

"  No  ;  why,  what  is  there  about  his  dream  ?  I  hain't 
heard  anything  about  it.  It  seems  as  though  there  must 
be  something  funny,  as  you  are  all  smiling ;  come  tell 
me  about  it,"  said  Jimmy. 

"Oh,  there's  nothin'  'bout  it;  only  Tim  'ud  been  on 
a  spree,  an'  waked  up  kind  o'  deleris,  an1  imagined  he 
wuz  king  o'  the  Blueberry  Barrens.  He  claim'd  the 
King  o'  England  giv'd  the  whole  territory  ter  some  o' 


220  IKK    GL1DDEN   IN   MAINE. 

his  ancesstores  in  Ireland,  and  he  jest  found  out  'bout 
it.  An'  he  went  'round  and  forbid  anybody  ever  piekin' 
berries  on  the  Barrens,  and  wuz  goin'  ter  sue  everybody 
in  the  bitter  biziness  fer  all  the  berries  they'd  used," 
said  Sile. 

"  Well,  what  has  he  done  about  it?  "  anxiously  in 
quired  Jimmy. 

"  Oh,  'twas  only  a  dream  you  know.  An'  when  he 
come  ter  his  senses,  he  wuz  so  'shamed  'bout  it  he  didn't 
come  down  town  agin,  and  that  wuz  more'n  six  months 
ago,"  answered  Sile. 

"  Oh,  he's  been  down  few  times  ter  git  terbacker  an' 
papers,  but  he  don't  make  no  talk  witli  no  one.  They 
say  lie  stays  ter  home  an'  reads  all  ther  time.  Some,  o' 
ther  boys  wuz  up  ter  see  him  t'other  Sunday,  and  they 
said  he  wuz  gettin'  kinder  light-headed,  fer  he'd  talked 
tem'prance  and  all  sich  nonsense,  an'  he  had  some  crazy 
noshuns  about  an  envention  he's  bin  a-readin'  'bout. 
Some  kind  o'  machin'ry  what  they  call  'lektricity,"  said 
old  man  llankin. 

"Don't  you  ever  worry  about  Tim  Cronin  going 
crazy.  Probably  he  has  reformed.  Lawyer  Glidden 
used  to  say  he  was  the  brightest  man  in  this  section, 
and  if  he'd  ever  square  away  he'd  be  a  smart  man  ;  guess 
I'll  run  up  Sunday  afternoon  and  see  Tim,"  said  Jimmy, 
as  the  mail  carriage  rumbled  up  in  front  of  the  store. 

Tim's  dream  undoubtedly  had  been  the  occasion  of 
some  embarrassment,  yet  it  was  not  the  cause  of  his  ab 
sence  from  the  village. 

1 1  is  mother's  health  was  poor,  and  she  had  urged  him 
to  stay  at  home  and  cultivate  the  farm,  so  that  he  might 


KING  OF  THE  BAKRENS.  221 

be  with  her  in  those  declining  years,  and  he  acquiesced 
to  her  wishes.  He  had  remained  at  home,  simply  to  de 
vote  himself  to  the  industry  and  skill  required  to  make 
the  little  farm  a  paying  institution.  But  it  was  true, 
nevertheless,  that  he  had  abandoned  the  drink  habit. 

'•  I  have  the  prettiest  little  farm  in  the  country,  and  I 
wish  that  you  would  take  a  stroll  with  me  out  through 
the  fields  and  see  the  great  variety  of  vegetables  I  have 
planted  and  how  well  they  are  growing.  I  love  nature, 
and  it  does  me  good  to  just  walk  through  the  vines  and 
leaves  and  watch  them  grow,"  said  Tim  to  Jimmy  Hope 
that  Sunday  when  he  visited  him. 

"  What  a  surprise,  Tim !  I  never  thought  that  you 
would  settle  down  to  an  industrious  garden  farmer. 
This  field  of  vegetables  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
sights  I  ever  saw,"  remarked  Jimmy. 

"  I  expect  to  sell  this  crop  for  much  more  than  I  could 
have  earned  had  I  been  at  day's  labor,  so  on  the  whole  I 
am  getting  very  much  interested  in  my  new  occupation," 
said  Tim. 

"  No  doubt  of  that ;  you  are  evidently  working  on  a 
more  systematic  plan  than  any  of  your  neighbors,  and 
there  is  no  reason  why  you  cannot  make  this  a  profitable 
enterprise.  But  then  it  doesn't  seem  like  you  to  be  en 
gaged  in  a  quiet  occupation  like  this.  Don't  you  ever 
get  lonesome  out  here  ?  "  said  Jimmy. 

"  Lonesome  !  why  I  don't  have  time  to  even  think  of  it. 
I  spend  the  days  in  the  field,  and  when  night  comes  I'm 
so  tired  I'm  glad  to  lay  back  and  read,"  responded  Tim. 

"Read!  do  you  read  much,  Tim?"  inquired  Jimmy, 
in  a  tone  of  surprise,  because  he  never  imagined  Tim  in 
connection  with  books. 


222  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

"  Read !  why,  I  have  read  almost  every  book  on  elec 
tricity  I've  ever  heard  of.  I  have  a  friend  in  Boston 
that  has  very  kindly  loaned  me  nearly  every  book  in  his 
library.  I'm  very  much  interested  in  the  study  of  elec 
tricity.  Almost  every  week  I  receive  a  bundle  of  books 
from  him  by  express,"  answered  Tim. 

"  So  you  confine  your  reading  to  this  one  subject,  do 
you?"  asked  Jimmy. 

"Oh,  ho,  no.  But  I  got  interested  in  that  subject, 
and  naturally  enough  followed  it  along.  Then  I  took 
up  the  Spanish  language,  and  I  think  I  have  mastered 
it  sufficiently  to  converse  with  anybody  in  Spanish,''  said 
Tim. 

"  This  is  wonderful ;  you  don't  know  how  pleased  I 
am  to  know  that  you  are  getting  on  so  nicely,"  said 
Jimmy  in  a  complimentary  tone. 

"  Yes,  people  wonder  that  I  don't  go  to  town  oftener 
than  I  do,  but  you  see  I  do  not  have  the  time  to  spare. 
I  receive  a  number  of  the  leading  magazines  regularly, 
and  my  friend  sends  me  nearly  all  the  popular  books 
soon  as  published,  so  I  spend  the  time  very  pleasantly 
without  going  to  town  for  amusement,"  said  Tim. 

"  But  don't  you  ever  get  tired  of  this  life  out  here, 
and  have  a  desire  to  go  to  town?"  asked  Jimmy. 

"  Tired  out  here !  why,  no  indeed.  I'm  too  busy 
reading  and  studying  to  even  think  of  being  tired  of  it. 
Really,  I  haven't  been  in  town,  except  when  on  some 
special  errand,  since  last  fall.  But  since  my  mother  has 
become  so  feeble  we  have  decided  to  sell  the  farm,  and 
move  into  the  village,  where  she  will  be  near  a  doctor. 
She  is  sick  a  great  deal,  and  I  know  she  could  have  bet 
ter  care  if  we  were  in  town,"  said  Tim. 


KING  OF  THE  BARRENS.  223 

It  was  really  true  that  Tim  scarcely  ever  went  to 
town  unless  to  attend  to  some  matter  that  required  his 
presence  there.  He  became  fond  of  reading  as  he 
stated,  and  had  acquired  a  fund  of  general  knowledge 
unequalled  by  even  the  leading  men  in  the  country. 
When  lie  did  visit  the  village  his  conduct  was  so  gen 
tlemanly  and  courteous  that  his  old  acquaintances  began 
to  respect  him  as  the  soul  of  morality  and  the  honor  of 
good  citizenship.  Ansel  Hicks  became  a  great  admirer 
of  the  young  man's  noble  traits  and  excellent  behavior, 
and  offered  him  a  situation  in  his  store  at  a  small  salary, 
which  he  at  first  declined.  But  the  following  spring 
his  mother's  health  became  so  poor  that  he  did  sell  the 
farm,  and  he  and  his  mother  moved  to  the  village,  where 
the  enfeebled  old  lady  might  have  such  medical  attend 
ance  as  her  sickly  condition  required,  and  then  he  en 
tered  upon  the  duties  of  clerk  in  the  store  of  Mr.  Hicks. 
Tim  and  his  mother  were  made  very  welcome  in  the 
village,  and  especially  Tim's  old  friends  were  pleased 
to  have  him  with  them  again.  But  he  had  changed. 
How  creditably! 

Tim  took  great  pains  to  embellish  the  appearance  of 
the  somewhat  neglected  old  stock  of  goods,  and  even 
the  loafers  seemed  to  point  with  pride  to  the  changed 
appearance  of  the  store.  The  genial  manner  of  the  new 
clerk  won  new  patrons,  and  it  was  evident  that  Ansel's 
place  of  business  was  commencing  to  become  the  most 
popular  resort  of  the  people  from  the  rural  districts  who 
came  to  town  to  barter  eggs  and  butter  and  produce  for 
groceries  and  the  late  patterns  of  prints  and  ginghams. 
Indeed,  so  busy  were  Ansel  and  Tim  kept  through 


224  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

the  day  that  the  duties  of  posting  and  adjusting  ac 
counts  became  a  task  that  required  the  services  of  the 
new  clerk  every  evening  and  frequently  all  day  on  Sun 
days  and  holidays.  It  was  easily  seen  that  Tim  was  the 
life  of  the  business,  and  that  the  proprietor  was  depend 
ent  upon  his  tact  and  good  judgment  in  even  the  small 
details  pertaining  to  the  management  of  the  store. 

Two  years  had  scarcely  passed  since  Tim  in  a  delirium 
had  declared  himself  "King  of  the  Barrens,"  until  the 
public  commenced  to  realize  that  there  was  a  clean  and 
active  influence  for  good  exerted  by  the  man  who  a 
short  while  ago  had  been  looked  upon  with  pity  and  re 
proach. 

The  idler,  the  wayward,  useless  young  man  —  pos 
sessed  by  a  pure,  noble,  spirit-stirring  emotion  —  had 
lifted  himself  out  of  himself,  superior  to  sordid  ambition, 
and  aroused  himself  out  of  slothful  inactivity.  He 
labored,  studied  and  became  enterprising,  and  went 
about  his  daily  rounds  with  zest,  earnestness  and  pride. 
His  opinion  in  any  public  matter  was  valued;  his 
neighbors  looked  upon  him  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  excellent  ideas ;  and  even  other  business  men,  be 
side  his  employer,  frequently  sought  his  advice.  In 
fact,  all  those  who  were  bewildered  by  reason  of  an  en 
tanglement  of  their  affairs,  were  beginning  to  submit 
their  sorrows  and  griefs  to  Tim,  in  hope  that  a  sug 
gestion  from  him  might  relieve  their  predicament ;  and 
it  was  evident  that  he  was  filling  a  place  in  that  section 
that  apparently  had  been  vacant  since  the  departure  of 
Ike  Glidden. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

THE   EVANGELISTIC   MEETINGS. 

A  SERIES  of  evangelistic  meetings  were  in  full 
blast  at  Squirmtown,  a  general  revival  of  re 
ligious  interest  was  sweeping  through  the  village,  and 
the  atmosphere  seemed  to  be  redolent  of  Christian  piety. 
Even  the  street  loafers  stood  on  the  corner  and  hummed 
the  air  of  sacred  hymns  with  as  much  fervor  and  feeling 
as  could  be  manifested  by  the  most  devout  church  mem 
ber.  It  was  generally  understood  that  on  Sunday  even 
ing  the  Rev.  Mr.  Squeeks,  a  very  able  minister,  was  to 
fill  the  pulpit  of  the  little  church  where  the  people  of  the 
district  usually  gathered  to  worship.  The  cold  frosty 
air  of  that  Sunday  in  February  reminded  the  janitor  to 
take  special  pains  to  warm  the  building  properly,  and 
have  it  comfortable  for  the  evening  service,  and  he  cer 
tainly  gave  the  matter  faithful  attention.  When  services 
opened  the  atmosphere  of  the  church  was  at  just  about 
suitable  temperature  for  the  comfort  of  those  who  had 
driven  a  distance  in  the  chilly  climate.  The  stove  was 
of  the  large  old-fashioned  barrel  shape,  into  which  sticks 
of  wood  Avere  thrown  through  the  top  and  stood  on  ends, 
and  there  was  always  a  generous  supply  of  the  most 
choice  hard  wood  piled  back  of  it.  The  janitor,  Mr. 
Rankin  (Bluster  Rankin's  father),  was  an  old  man,  lame 
with  rheumatism,  walked  bent  over  a  cane,  and  was  so 

225 


226  (KE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

deaf  that  he  always  occupied  a  front  seat  directly  oppo 
site  to  the  pulpit,  so  that  he  could  distinctly  hear  the 
minister's  sermon. 

The  minister  was  certainly  and  truly  an  eloquent 
speaker ;  he  captivated  the  attention  of  his  audience 
from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  his  sermon,  and  at 
times  became  exceedingly  forcible  in  his  manner  of  ex 
pression. 

He  scored  the  people  for  their  lack  of  interest  in  the 
church  and  in  religion,  and  advised  them  to  be  more 
devoted  to  the  Lord  and  his  works  ;  he  told  them  that 
they  must  be  more  affectionate  with  the  Lord,  and  that 
they  should  have  more  fire  in  their  hearts  for  the  Lord, 
and  that  devotion  to  him  would  then  be  certain.  In 
trying  to  impress  on  his  audience  the  importance  of  this, 
he  became  forcible  as  well  as  eloquent,  and  at  the  high 
est  pitch  of  his  voice  said,  "  We  must  have  more  fire 
in  our  hearts."  The  first  part  of  the  minister's  remark 
was  much  louder  than  the  last,  and  the  janitor,  being 
very  deaf,  heard  only  the  words,  "  We  must  have  more 
fire,"  and  taking  it  for  granted  that  it  was  a  command 
from  the  minister  to  attend  to  the  fire,  arose  on  his  cane, 
hobbled  down  the  aisle,  put  another  piece  of  wood  into 
the  stove,  opened  the  drafts,  and  returned  to  his  pew. 

About  five  minutes  later  the  minister  got  around 
again  to  a  similar  part  of  the  sermon,  and  said  in  a  still 
louder  tone  of  voice,  "  We  must  have  more  fire,"  and 
the  janitor  hobbled  down  to  the  back  of  the  church, 
tried  to  put  another  piece  of  wood  into  (he  stove,  got  it 
caught  in  the  top  of  the  stove  and  made  a  terrible  racket 
in  trying  to  get  it  free  from  the  entanglement  and  with- 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS.  227 

draw  it  from  the  stove.  After  busying  himself  a  few 
minutes  with  the  damper  and  drafts  he  returned  to  his 
seat,  exhibiting  a  degree  of  ill-humor  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  allowed  his  cane  to  touch  the  floor.  In  less 
than  ten  minutes  after  the  janitor  reached  his  seat  the 
second  time,  and  got  through  puffing  and  breathing  by 
reason  of  the  extra  and  faithful  effort  (as  he  supposed) 
he  had  just  made  to  obey  an  earnest  request,  the  min 
ister  got  up  in  the  air  as  high  as  his  voice  could  reach, 
and  came  down  in  a  dramatic  and  effective  manner,  say 
ing,  "  We  must  have  more  fire,"  at  the  same  time  swing 
ing  his  arms  and  slapping  his  hands  together  to  give  his 
remarks  especial  emphasis. 

The  janitor  arose  again  and  started  for  the  back  of 
the  church,  and  in  passing  down  the  aisle  the  sound 
of  his  cane  on  the  floor  was  thump,  thump,  thump,  indi 
cating  the  rage  and  anger  that  filled  his  breast  as  he 
imagined  he  had  already  replenished  the  stove  with 
fuel  sufficient  to  cause  the  heat  to  be  diffused  through 
every  part  of  the  building.  When  he  reached  the  stove 
he  was  so  irate  that  he  lifted  off  the  cover,  and  with  a 
long  iron  bar  began  poking  and  working  the  sticks  in  it 
from  side  to  side  to  make  room  for  another  stick,  and, 
in  fact,  was  so  infuriated  that  he  could  not  realize  that 
he  was  making  a  noise  and  disturbing  the  speaker  in  his 
effort  to  cause  "  more  fire." 

The  minister  noticed  the  janitor  was  giving  more  at 
tention  to  the  stove  than  usual,  but  did  not  think  that 
the  frequent  trips  down  the  aisle  to  nourish  and  augment 
the  fire  were  by  reason  of  any  of  his  remarks,  until  he 
came  to  the  same  oratorical  flight  of  "  we  must  have 


228  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

more  fire,"  while  the  janitor  was  in  the  act  of  wrestling 
the  long  iron  poker  with  the  sticks  of  wood  wedged  into 
the  stove  and  making  a  riotous  noise.  Then  the  whole 
matter  dawned  upon  the  minister,  who  came  to  a  halt 
in  the  sermon,  and  when  all  was  quiet  except  the  clamor 
and  rattle  at  the  stove,  said,  "  Mr.  Kankin,  please,  I  do 
not  mean  that  kind  of  fire ;  I  mean  that  we  must  have 
more  fire  in  our  hearts  for  God." 

The  janitor  returned  again  to  his  seat,  feeling  em 
barrassed  as  well  as  provoked,  and  the  minister  pro 
ceeded  with  the  sermon.  At  that  juncture  the  church 
had  become  suffocating,  and  Becca  Blunt  fainted  away 
by  reason  of  the  excessive  fire  and  stifling  heat,  and  her 
father,  Squire  Blunt,  and  Ansel  Hicks  carried  her  out 
in  the  open  air,  and  some  of  the  ladies  threw  a  dipper 
of  cold  water  in  her  face  to  resuscitate  her.  Finally  it 
was  found  that  a  tight  collar  was  pressing  on  the  jugular 
vein,  and  when  that  was  loosened  she  revived. 

The  next  morning  at  Sid  Homer's  blacksmith  shop 
there  seemed  to  be  more  than  the  usual  rush  of  business. 
Cy  Haines  was  there  for  the  purpose  of  getting  a  log 
ging-sled  repaired  ;  Dick  Drake  was  there  with  his  steers 
to  have  them  shod  for  the  first  time ;  and  five  or  six 
others  were  there  with  horses  to  have  either  new  shoes 
put  on  or  to  have  the  calks  on  the  old  ones  sharpened. 
While  the  blacksmith  and  helper  were  busy  at  the  forge 
and  anvil  making  and  fitting  work  for  their  uncommonly 
large  custom,  the  patrons  each  took  their  turn  in  the 
order  in  which  they  arrived  at  the  shop,  and  sat  around 
the  fire  while  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  be  served. 

"•  That  was  a  good  sermon  last  night,"  exclaimed  Cy 
Haines  earnestly. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS.  229 

"  And  right  to  the  point  too,"  responded  Sid. 

"  Well,  'twas  a  pretty  hot  one,"  remarked  Dick  Drake, 
"  an'  it  seemed  the  hotter  the  preacher  got,  the  more 
old  man  Rankin  tried  ter  make  it." 

"  That's  'bout  so,"  agreed  Cy,  "  the  more  blaze  the 
minister  tried  ter  git  inter  ther  heart,  the  more  wood  the 
old  man  put  on  ter  ther  fire." 

"  Think  it's  jest  about  time  somebody  else  took  charge 
o'  the  meetin'  house  and  built  ther  fires ;  ther  old  man's 
all  right,  but  he's  gone  by ;  needs  some  young  man  ter 
'tend  out,"  remarked  Sid. 

"  Why,  he  kept  up  a  reg'lar  an'  a  stiddy  distirbance 
all  through  the  sermon,  an'  I  for  one  think  it's  'bout 
time  we  got  a  new  janitor,"  said  Dick. 

"He's  so  deaf  he  can't  hear  nothin',''  remarked 
another,  who  was  nibbling  at  the  stem  of  a  corn-cob 
pipe. 

"  Yes,  and  he's  so  thund'rin'  lame  that  he  makes  an 
awful  racket  ev'ry  time  he  goes  acrosst  the  church,  so 
that  yer  can't  ha'f  hear  what  ther  minister  sez,"  joined  in 

Cy. 

"  When  he  riz  up  ther  third  time  last  night  ter  go  and 
poke  wood  inter  that  red-hot  stove  my  wife  was  so  mol 
lified  that  she  sed  she  never  got  no  pleasure  out  of 
hearin'  the  sermon,"  said  Sid,  confirming  all  that  had 
been  said  about  the  aged  and  infirm  janitor. 

The  ball  was  then  and  there  started  rolling,  and  that 
evening  Mr.  Rankin,  who  had  been  janitor  for  nearly 
forty  years  or  ever  since  the  church  was  built,  received 
an  order  of  discharge ;  it  being  done  in  such  a  hurry, 
and  on  the  impulse  of  some  of  the  over-zealous  new 


230  IKE    GLIDDEN   IX    MAINE. 

members,  the  usual  vote  of  thanks  for  "  long,  faithful  and 
efficient  service''  was  unintentionally  omitted,  and  u  new 
janitor  was  authorized  to  take  the  keys,  blow  out  the 
lights,  and  lock  up  the  church  when  service  was  over. 

The  overthrow  and  order  of  dismissal  in  such  an  un 
grateful  and  unceremonious  manner  was  too  much  for 
the  old  man ;  he  took  it  to  heart,  and  during  the  next 
few  days  he  appeared  to  be  plunged  into  the  deepest  and 
blackest  melancholy.  While  the  Rankins  were  debuting 
on  the  atrocious  act  that  had  been  perpetrated  on  them 
Bluster  remarked,  "  Dad,  don't  you  never  mind ;  we'll 
get  up  a  meetin'  down  in  the  school  house,  and  run  an 
opposishun  ter  Mr.  Squeeks.  1  know  where  there's  a 
preacher  what'll  come  up  here  and  hold  meetin's  as  long 
as  we  want  him  to,  an'  Cy  Haines  and  Sid  Homer  can 
hav'  tha  whole  revival  all  ter  therselves." 

"  I  don't  think  much  of  the  doctrine  Mr.  Squeeks  is 
a-preachin'  anyway,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  cheering 
up. 

"  Doctrine  !  why  it's  the  same  old  kind  what  they've 
been  a-preachin'  up  round  here  ever  since  I  kin  remem 
ber,"  buoyantly  said  Bluster. 

"  I  would  like  to  hear  a  real  good  sermon  for  once," 
piously  said  Bluster's  mother. 

"  Well,  sir,  there's  a  set  o'  preachers  from  Shilo  what's 
been  holdin'  meetin's  down  ter  Snare  Creek,  and  they 
say  that  they're  a-preachin'  a  bran'  new  religgin,  an'  I 
b'lieve  we  could  get  one  on  'em  ter  come  up  here,"  said 
Bluster  determinedly. 

"  What  a  nice  thing  it  would  be  to  have  a  real  Chris 
tian  man  ter  come  and  preacli  fer  us,  who  b'lieve  in  tlier 
Lord  !  "  said  the  good  lady. 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS.  231 

"  I'm  a-goin'  out  ter-morrer  with  a  paper,  and  see  how 
many  I  kin  git  ter  sign,  and  if  I  kin  git  a  dozen  or  so 
ter  put  down  ther  names,  I'll  harness  up  the  kicker  and 
drive  down  and  git  one  on  'em  ter  come  up,"  declared 
Bluster. 

Sure  enough,  the  next  morning  Bluster  did  commence 
a  canvass  and  aroused  a  great  excitement  in  the  district, 
secured  the  promise  of  many  of  the  old  members  as  well 
as  all  the  relatives  of  the  Rankins  to  withdraw  from  the 
church  society ;  and  created  a  hatred  toward  the  active 
new  members,  for  usurping  power  and  control  over  the 
church  property,  that  developed  into  intense  resentment. 
He  seemed  to  be  very  successful  in  his  new  enterprise, 
and  received  encouragement  from  almost  everybody  to 
whom  he  broached  the  subject. 

When  he  met  Tim  Cronin,  and  informed  him  of  what 
was  going  on  and  of  his  intention  to  go  and  hunt  up  a 
preacher,  Tim  said,  "  You  will  undoubtedly  interfere 
with  the  revival  that  is  now  going  on,  and  I'm  afraid 
that  you  will  be  the  means  of  bringing  it  to  an  early 
close." 

"  We'll  take  tha  'hull  side  right  out  of  tha  church  so 
ciety,  if  I  get  ter  work  in  this  religgin  biziness  in  rale 
earnest,"  boastingly  said  Bluster. 

"  Really,  going  down  Jonesport  way  after  a  preacher, 
be  yer  ?  "  asked  Tim. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  cal'lashun,"  answered  Bluster. 

"  Bluster,  you're  a  mighty  slick-lookin'  feller,  and  a 
pretty  smooth  talker,  and  I  b'lieve  if  you'd  quit  swear- 
in',  and  deal  in  a  better  class  of  horses,  you'd  make  a 
good  preacher  yourself,"  said  Tim,  in  the  way  of  a 
joke. 


232  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"Me,  if  I  only  had  a  little  practice  I  could  spout 
with  the  best  of  'em,"  said  Bluster  with  an  air  of  con 
ceit. 

"You,  you're  all  right,  Bluster,  if  you'd  only  a  mind 
to  think  so  ;  why,  I'd  risk  you  at  a  camp-meetin',"  con 
tinued  Tim,  while  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  forced  a  smile  he 
was  unable  to  suppress. 

A  succession  of  meetings  was  accordingly  opened  at 
the  school-house  ;  Bluster  professed  Christianity,  and 
the  news  spread  far  and  wide  through  the  outskirts  of 
the  district  that  "  Bluster  Rankin's  'sperienced  religgin," 
and  large  numbers  attended  the  meetings,  partly  with  a 
curiosity  to  learn  if  the  report  was  true,  and  when  they 
learned  of  its  accuracy,  continued  to  attend  to  hear  him 
night  after  night  give  testimony  in  his  characteristic 
manner  of  his  change  of  heart. 

About  twelve  on  the  night  after  Bluster  had  expe 
rienced  religion,  there  came  a  loud  rap  at  his  door.  He 
was  somewhat  startled,  but  went  however  to  the  door, 
calling  out  as  he  did  so,  "  Who's  thar?  " 

"  It's  me,  Dinnis  Bogan." 

"  Well,  Dennis,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  And  it's  askin'  what  ye  can  do  fer  me,  is  it  ye  are  ? 
Faith,  I  jist  heerd  ye'd  'sperienced  religgin,  and  that 
ye'd  said  in  the  meetin'  that  ye'd  make  amends  for  all 
the  wrongs  ye'd  iver  done  any  one,  and  if  ye'd  owed 
any  one  ye'd  make  it  roight  with  them  as  much  as  ye 
was  able.  Is  that  thrue,  Blusther  ?  " 

"  Even  if  it  is,  Mr.  Bogan,  why  did  you  rouse  me  at 
this  late  hour?  "  said  Bluster,  not  a  little  annoyed. 

"  Begorre,  I  came  now  so  as  to  be  ahead  of  the  rush.     I 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS.  233 

know  there'll  be  a  crowd  here  in  the  mornin',  soon  as 
the  people  hears  about  it." 

"  How  have  I  wronged  you,  Mr.  Bogan  ?  " 

"  Ah,  now  don't  ye  be  askin'  sich  o'  me.  Didn't  ye 
fool  me  out  o'  forty  dollars  that  I  lint  ye  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do  owe  you  forty  dollars,  Dennis,"  said 
Bluster. 

"Well,  what  are  ye  goin'  to  do  about  it?  I  s'pose 
ye'd  ruther  keep  on  owin'  it  to  me  than  to  chate  me  out 
of  it?" 

"  Now,  Dennis,  please  don't  torture  me  any  more 
about  that  debt  I  owe  you  and  don't  say  anything  to 
our  neighbors.  You  go  home,  and  depend  upon  it  I'll 
go  to-morrow  morning  and  try  to  borrow  the  money  to 
pay  you.  If  I  can't  pay  you  I'll  give  you  a  bill  of  sale 
of  my  only  horse  to  square  the  debt." 

As  Dennis  wended  his  way  homeward  he  smiled  to 
himself  at  the  way  Bluster  had  promised  to  pay  that 
long-standing  debt  that  he  had  so  often  refused  to 
settle. 

Whether  or  not  Tim's  jest  or  suggestion  had  anything 
to  do  with  Bluster's  Christian  course  may  be  doubtful ; 
but  Tim  always  claimed  that  his  few  words  of  encour 
agement  was  the  turning-point  in  his  career. 

Bluster,  as  he  had  always  been  known  by  everybody 
in  the  district,  was  bright  and  intuitive,  and  soon  ac 
quired  sufficient  knowledge  to  make  a  very  respectable 
appearance  in  public,  and  in  time  he  devoted  his  entire 
energy  to  conducting  meetings  in  the  surrounding  towns. 
He  seemed  to  have  a  natural  aptitude  for  that  line  of 
work,  made  a  good  impression  wherever  he  spoke,  and 


234  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

became  popular  as  a  speaker.  Mingling  with  cultivated 
people  apparently  had  a  refining  influence  upon  him  ; 
his  dialect  improved,  he  acquired  courtly  manners,  and 
in  time  became  a  great  lecturer  and  a  high-class  evan 
gelist. 

The  last  report  of  him  was  contained  in  an  item  of  a 
daily  paper  published  in  one  of  the  Western  cities  where 
he  was  conducting  meetings,  in  which  they  referred  to 
him  as  the  "  Rev.  Samuel  B.  Kankiii,"  and  paid  a  high 
tribute  to  his  ability. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE   POLITICAL   CAMPAIGN. 

WHILE  it  might  not  have  been  because  that  party 
were  sagacious  in  promoting  a  policy  for  its  suc 
cess  there,  it  was  nevertheless  true  that  the  district  in 
which  Blueberry  Falls  and  Squirmtown  are  located  had 
been  Democratic  for  many  years.  The  problematic  re 
sult  of  the  vote  had  been  so  decidedly  in  favor  of  that 
party  that  nobody  looked  forward  to  a  time  when  a  con 
dition  could  change  the  effect  of  an  election. 

The  result  of  each  election  had  been  a  sweeping  vic 
tory  for  the  Democratic  party,  so  that  the  few  adherents, 
throughout  the  district,  of  the  principles  of  the  other 
parties,  had  lost  all  interest  in  the  formula  for  nominat 
ing  a  candidate.  The  custom  in  vogue  had  been  for  the 
towns  to  alternate,  one  following  the  other  in  succession, 
in  selecting  a  candidate  for  Representative  to  Legisla- 
tiire.  This  year  it  was  the  privilege  of  the  Republican 
Committee  of  Blueberry  Falls  to  name  the  candidate  of 
their  respective  party  for  legislative  honors.  There 
were  several  towns  in  the  district,  so  that  it  was  several 
years  since  such  a  responsibility  rested  with  them,  and 
through  want  of  practice  it  was  a  question  if  their 
method  of  procedure  would  prove  legal.  However,  an 
assemblage  of  seven  members  of  the  Republican  party 
gathered  one  evening  at  the  store  of  Ansel  Hicks, 

235 


236  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

Ansel  stood  on  a  shoe  box  and  called  the  caucus  to 
order,  read  the  call,  and  announced,  "  Gen'lemen,  a  grate 
duty  has  come  ter  us  ter  perform,  and  I  tell  yer  we 
can't  be  too  keerful  in  what  we  do  here  at  this  meetin'. 
Don't  you  think,  Sile,  that  we'd  better  send  out  an'  try 
an'  git  a  few  more  voters  ter  come  in  ?  " 

Taking  off  his  hat,  and  rising  with  great  pomp  and 
dignity,  Sile  said,  "  Yer  honor,  —  no,  ixcuse  me,  —  -  Mr. 
Mod'rator,  I'd  do  anything  under  the  sun  fer  my  party, 
an'  ter  make  this  one  o'  the  grates t  po-lit-li-cal  dem- 
n-os-tra-shuns  in  the  hist'ry  o'  this  grate  and  glorious 
gov'ment  o'  tha'  United  States,  but  I  tell  yer  I  can't  do 
no  more  fer  ther  cause  o'  liberty  than  what  has  already 
bin  done.  Hain't  I  bin  a-runnin'  my  legs  right  square 
off  this  four  days  a-gettin'  this  crowd  together,  an'  hain't 
I  got  ev'iy  Rapublikin  voter  in  tha  hull  taown  tergether 
but  Tim,  an'  his  mother's  sick."  And  as  Sile  was  about 
to  sit  down  he  broke  out  anew,  "  I  wish  ter  thank  yer, 
Mr.  Chairman,  fer  this  grate  oppurtunity  I've  had  ov  a- 
expressin'  my  views  on  ther  grate  party  I  am  so  proud 
of  bein'  a  member."  As  Sile  sat  down  they  all  ap 
plauded  his  "  speech  "  by  clapping  hands. 

"Sile,"  said  Ansel,  "what  d'you  think?  Don't  you 
b'lieve  it  'ud  look  a  little  better  if  you'd  go  out  an'  call 
in  a  few  of  ther  boys,  just  ter  swell  ther  crowd  ;  yer 
know  when  tha  report  goes  out  it  'ud  be  grate,  yer  know, 
ter  say  we  had  a  large  crowd." 

"  B'lieve  it  would,"  replied  Sile,  as  he  unlocked  the 
store  door  and  started  out  after  some  of  the  younger 
generation  to  come  and  witness  the  ceremony  of  nomi 
nating  a  candidate.  In  a  short  time  he  returned  with  a 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  237 

rabble  of  a  dozen  ragged  and  disorderly  boys,  who  were 
evidently  wondering  why  their  presence  was  so  much 
appreciated. 

"  That's  it,  boys,"  said  Ansel,  "  come  in,  be  seated, 
take  off  yer  hats,  an'  be  good  boys,  an'  yer'll  see  some 
o'  tha  machin'ry  o'  this  grate  gov'ment." 

Ansel  had  not  always  been  in  popular  favor  with  the 
boys,  and  in  fact  they  were  not  with  him ;  for  on  many 
occasions,  when  they  had  tortured  his  store  door  during 
an  evening  with  a  kick  or  a  barricade,  he  had  called  each 
of  them  some  pretty  harsh  names  and  threatened  them 
with  the  disgrace  of  legal  proceedings.  The  boys  took 
seats  as  requested,  but  before  many  minutes  elapsed 
they  were  scattered  to  each  part  of  the  store. 

About  the  time  it  had  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
Squire  Blunt  should  act  as  chairman  of  the  meeting,  and 
the  squire  had  taken  his  stand  on  the  shoe  box,  Ansel's 
mind  was  somewhat  relieved  of  the  great  responsibility 
that  had  been  bearing  so  heavily  upon  him  and  he  took 
an  opportunity  to  look  around  the  store. 

"  What  in  thunder  be  you  a-doin'  ?  "  he  cried  out. 
"  Hain't  you  boys  a-sittin'  where  I  told  you  to.  Jimmie 
Billins,  you  git  out  o'  them  raisins.  Dannie  Morley, 
take  them  things  out  o'  yer  pocket.  Sile,  'rrest  'em !  " 

The  caucus  was  then  in  tremendous  uproar,  as  the 
command  for  the  constable  to  arrest  them  caused  some 
to  make  a  bold  dash  for  liberty  by  racing  through  the 
store,  while  others  endeavoring  to  get  out  found  the 
door  locked.  Sile  took  the  things  out  of  Dannie  Mor- 
ley's  pocket,  drove  Jimmie  Billins  from  the  raisins,  and 
restored  order  by  requesting  the  boys  to  take  seats  again 
and  to  remain  quiet. 


238  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

Then  Ansel  arose  and  attempted  to  read  from  a  news 
paper  some  resolution  that  had  been  adopted  at  the 
State  Convention  just  held.  When  he  had  read  about 
ten  minutes  he  paused  to  get  breath,  and  happened  to 
think  of  the  raisins  and  the  boys.  He  took  a  sly  glance 
around  the  store,  and  as  he  yelled,  "  Yer'll  lug  off  ther 
hull  store  if  I  don't  put  yer  out,"  the  meeting  was  in  a 
state  of  consternation,  with  the  boys  racing  around  the 
store  endeavoring  to  dodge  Sile.  Finally  it  was  agreed 
that  the  only  safe  way  to  proceed  was  to  put  the  boys 
out,  and  as  Sile  searched  each  one  of  the  mischievous 
urchins,  Ansel  opened  the  door  and  allowed  him  to  go. 
When  the  under-voting  element  had  been  dismissed  and 
the  air  had  calmed  down,  Ansel  proceeded  to  finish  the 
reading  of  the  resolution.  As  he  sat  down  Ame  Blib- 
bers  said,  "  That's  a  mighty  good  speech ;  wonder  who 
wrote  it?  Bet  Littlefield  had  something  to  do  with  it." 

"  No,  I  think  t'  must  er'  been  Bryan,"  said  Sile. 

"Bryan!  what  be  you  a-thinkin'  'bout?  Hain't 
Bryan  a  Democrat  ?  "  responded  Ame. 

«'  No,  that's  'bout  all  you  know,  Ame,"  replied  Sile, 
as  he  bit  off  a  fresh  chew  of  tobacco. 

"  Well,  if  yer  won't  take  my  word  fer  it,  ask  Tim," 
continued  Ame. 

"  Thare  !  thare  !  can't  have  no  more  o'  that ;  we've  got 
important  business  here  ter  transact,  an'  we  musn't  ne 
glect  it  and  take  up  other  matters  fust,"  commanded 
Squire  Blunt,  as  he  pounded  on  the  counter  for  order. 

"  Who'll  be  ther  candy-date  ?  name  yer  man  ;  that's 
ther  next  thing  what's  afore  this  house,"  continued  the 
squire. 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  239 

"  I  nom'nate  Squire  Blunt,"  said  Ansel. 

"  I  won't  take  it  under  no  consid'ration ;  my  hay's 
short,  an'  I've  got  ter  stay  home  an'  try  ter  feed  more 
fodder  an'  medder  hay  ter  my  stock  than  last  winter,  so 
I  can't  think  of  a-goin',  on  no  'ccount,"  cried  out  the 
squire,  for  fear  the  honor  was  to  be  forced  upon  him. 
"  Anse,  you  take  it,  yerself." 

"  No,  no,  I  can't,"  responded  Ansel ;  "  I'm  sick  with 
ther  yaller  ja'ndies  more'n  ha'f  ther  time,  an'  it  'ud  be 
a  dredful  thing  if  I  wuz  takin'  with  a  fit  o'  my  dizzy 
headaches  while  makin'  a  speech  up  thar.  Somebody 
else  'ill  have  ter  be  ther  candy-date." 

"  I'll  take  ther  grate  responsibil'ty  o'  servin'  ther 
party,  and  be  ther  candy-date  myself,  bein's  nobudy 
else  is  a-willin'  ter  serve  ther  country,"  volunteered 
Sile. 

"  Haw !  haw !  haw  !  an'  you'd  be  a  nice  one  ter  tell 
ther  Republikens  up  in  t'other  part  o'  ther  deestrict 
that  we'd  put  up,"  said  Ame.  "  Yer  hain't  been  in 
ther  party  long  'nough,  Sile.  Why,  yer  never  was  a 
Republiken  until  t'other  night  when  we  took  yer  in, 
when  we  sot  over  there  in  ther  old  mill  and  made  ther 
plans  uv  this  meetin',  and  you  agreed  ter  help  get  ther 
crowd  out  ter  ther  caucus.  Yer  hain't  got  no  right  ter 
be  a  candy-date,  I  tell  yer,  until  after  you've  voted  one 
straight  Republiken  vote  at  an  election.  I  think  I'm 
the  most  loikly  man  here  fer  that  high  position,  and  I 
now,  in  the  presence  o'  my  feller  citizens,  'nnounce  my 
self  as  a  candy-date  for  that  office." 

When  Ame  finished  his  remarks  and  became  seated, 
the  chairman  said,  "  Well,  it  looks  now  as  we  wuz 


240  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

a-gettin'  well  underway.  A  while  ago  we  didn't  have 
no  candy-date,  and  now  we've  got  two.  Gen'lenien, 
Sile  Lombard  and  Ame  Blibbers  is  both  in  ther  field, 
and  it  'ill  be  fer  you,  and  not  fer  me,  ter  decide.  So 
all  in  favor  o'  Ame  take  seats  on  ther  right-hand  side  o' 
the  stove,  and  all  those  ter  vote  fer  Sile  'ill  go  on  t'other 
side  o'  ther  stove,  and  those  con'try  minded  —  no,  well, 
never  mind,  I  made  a  mistake  'cause  ther  hain't  no  con' 
try  minded  ter  this. 

The  voting  elements  each  took  quarters  favorable  to 
their  choice  of  candidates,  and  then  the  chairman  pro 
ceeded  to  count  and  declare  the  vote. 

"I've  qu-ounted  ther  vote,  an'  I  find  what  Sile  has 
three  and  Ame  three,  so  there's  no  choice.  So  nuther 
one  o'  you's  nom'nated.  What'll  we  do  in  that  case  ?  " 
said  the  chairman. 

"  Who'd  you  vote  for,  squire  ?  If  you'll  vote  fer  me 
I'll  have  a  majority,  an'  if  yer  will  I'll  saw  an'  split  all 
yer  wood  fer  nothin'  afore  "lection,"  said  Ame. 

"  No,  I  can't  vote.  Why,  I'm  chairman  o'  ther  meet- 
in',"  responded  the  squire. 

"  What'll  we  do  about  this  plaguey  thing  anyway ; 
wish't  I'd  been  a  Demmycrat,  an'  I'd  not  got  inter 
this  mess,"  said  Ansel.  "  If  we  can't  nom'nate  a  man 
an'  ther  biziness  don't  go  through  all  right,  the  people  in 
t'other  part  o'  ther  deestrict  'ill  blame  me  fer  the  hull 
o'  it." 

"  Ansel,  I  think  we'd  better  send  fer  Tim  ter  come 
and  try  an'  help  us  get  this  thing  fixed  up  some  way," 
suggested  the  squire. 

"  That's   so,  ail'  it's  gettin'  late ;  long  past  my  bed- 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  241 

time  already.  Sile,  you  go  tell  Tim  I  want  him  on  im 
portant  business,"  said  Ansel. 

Sile,  in  response  to  the  command  from  Ansel,  went 
after  Tim,  and  soon  returned  with  information  that  Tim 
would  come  directly. 

In  the  course  of  ten  minutes  or  so  Tim  responded  to 
the  summons  of  his  employer,  to  learn  the  nature  of  the 
important  business,  and  to  his  surprise  learned  that  his 
services  were  required  to  decide  how  a  candidate  might 
be  chosen  when  there  were  two  candidates  and  a  tie- 
vote.  When  Tim  had  listened  to  the  details  of  the 
procedure,  and  had  learned  who  the  candidates  were,  he 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  and  said,  "  So,  it's  a  dead 
lock  between  Ame  and  Sile  for  the  honor,  is  it?  " 

Calling  Ansel  to  one  side  Tim  whispered  to  him  that 
it  would  never  do  to  nominate  either  of  those  men,  and 
suggested  that  it  should  be  some  representative  man  and 
a  man  in  good  standing  in  his  town. 

"  Don't  see  but  what  you'll  have  ter  take  it,  Tim, 
for  I  know  't  if  you'll  stand  both  Ame  and  Sile  'ill  haul 
out,"  said  Ansel,  as  he  proceeded  to  confer  with  the 
candidates  about  the  matter  of  a  compromise  before  he 
gave  Tim  a  chance  to  decline  the  honor  of  a  unanimous 
nomination. 

"  Yes,  yes,  we'll  all  pull  out  fer  Tim,"  responded  Ame 
and  Sile  in  chorus. 

"  Yes,  that  'ud  be  the  right  man  in  the  right  place," 
cried  out  Squire  Blunt,  who  at  this  period  seemed  to 
have  more  respect  for  Tim  than  in  the  days  when  he 
chastised  his  daughter  for  even  recognizing  him  when 
passing  on  the  street. 


242  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"  I  shall  be  a  candidate  under  no  consideration,'' 
said  Tim  ;  "  that  is  settled,  so  do  riot  reckon  on  me.  I 
think  that  the  proper  thing  to  do  here  is  to  nominate 
either  Squire  Blunt  or  Mr.  Hicks,  as  they  are  both 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  town  anu 
are  more  or  less  known  throughout  the  district." 

"  I  can't  be  no  candy-date,  Mr.  Cronin,''  said  tlu- 
squire.  "  But  I  thank  yer  fer  ther  honor,  just  the  same. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hicks,  it  falls  to  you  and  you  must  ac 
cept.  Here  let's  close  this  thing  up  by  filling  in  the 
nomination  blanks,  and  go  home,"  said  Tim. 

"  No,  no,  how  can  I  go  away,  Tim  ?  You  know  I'm 
sick  more'n  ha'f  ther  time,  an'  can't  leave  home,"  cried 
out  Ansel  in  a  state  of  bewilderment. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hicks,  you  need  not  be  afraid  that  you 
will  have  to  be  away  from  home  any,  to  attend  to  the 
duties  of  Representative.  This  is  a  strong  Democratic 
district,  and  the  work  of  nominating  a  Republican  can 
didate  is  only  a  matter  of  form.  If  you  have  the  cour 
age  to  face  defeat  by  the  large  majority  that  the  Demo 
crats  have  in  this  district,  it  is  all  that's  required.  I'm 
going  to  write  your  name  in  this  blank  space  of  the 
nomination  papers  as  the  candidate  chosen  at  this  cau 
cus,"  said  Tim. 

"  Courage!  I've  'nough  courage  to  sacrifice  my  life  fer 
ther  sake  o'  my  party,"  proudly  returned  Ansel. 

"  That's  ther  kind  o'  a  man  ter  have,"  said  Sile  in  ap 
proval  of  the  courage  of  Ansel. 

"  There  now,  I  think  it's  settled.  Squire  Blunt,  you 
should  declare  in  open  meeting  that  Mr.  Hicks  is  the 
candidate,  and  I'll  proceed  to  fill  in  the  papers." 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  243 

"  I  declare  that  Mr.  Hicks  is  'lected  ter  ther  Legisla 
ture,"  announced  the  squire. 

"No,  no,"  said  Tim  in  disgust;"  "not  elected;  he  is 
simply  nominated  as  a  candidate  ;  but  then  there,  never 
mind,  any  more  of  it.  I  suppose  any  old  form  is  good 
enough.  Here,  Mr.  Hicks,  sign  these  papers  of  accept 
ance  of  the  nomination,  and  let  us  all  go  home." 

As  they  blew  out  the  lights  and  were  filing  through 
the  door  on  their  way  homeward,  Ame  said,  "  Tim,  this 
was  one  o'  ther  greatest  p'litical  meetin's  ever  held  in 
this  taown,  I  b'lieve." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  responded  Tim  with  a  smile. 

"  Good  night,"  said  each  one  of  them  on  the  steps  and 
they  separated  for  their  respective  places  of  abode. 

There  seemed  to  be  little  or  no  interest  manifested 
in  the  campaign  throughout  the  district  by  either  party, 
and  in  fact  few  of  the  people  ever  took  any  interest  in 
political  matters,  and  but  few  seemed  to  even  know  that 
Ansel  was  a  candidate  for  office.  One  evening  the  usual 
crowd  of  loafers  were  gathered  at  Ansel's  store,  and  one 
of  them  said,  "They've  just  had  a  flag-raisin'  over  ter 
Jonesb'ry,  an'  I'd  like  ter  gone  over  had  I  a-knowed  it 
in  time." 

"  So  'ud  I,  for  I  never  wuz  to  one.  I've  been  ter 
barn  raisin's  and  sich  times  as  that,  but  I've  never  been 
ter  a  flag-raisin',"  responded  another. 

Tim  then  suggested  that,  as  Squirmtown  never  did 
have  an  out-and-out  flag-raising,  it  would  be  the  proper 
thing,  to  get  up  such  a  celebration  some  evening,  and 
that  it  might  tend  to  win  to  the  Republican  party  the 
vote  of  the  berry-picking  contingency. 


244  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

"  By  crackle,  that's  the  scheme,  an'  we'll  have  a  red 
hot  'un,"  said  one  of  the  loafers,  as  they  were  all  mak 
ing  ejaculations  in  approval  of  the  suggestion. 

A  flag  was  purchased,  a  brass  band  hired,  and  every 
detail  of  an  extensive  arrangement  made  for  a  red-letter 
event  in  the  political  history  of  that  village. 

The  flag  was  to  be  hung  on  a  line  stretched  from  a 
pole  on  Sampson's  tavern  to  a  pole  on  Deacon  Squirm's 
barn,  which  is  directly  across  the  street,  and  Ansel  I  licks 
was  to  make  some  remarks  from  the  steps  of  the  tavern 
as  the  flag  was  being  raised. 

The  evening  of  the  flag-raising  the  band  and  a  large 
delegation  of  ladies  occupied  the  veranda,  and  a  crowd 
was  gathered  around  the  house  and  stable  yard,  and 
those  who  had  any  desire  for  drinks  were  surging  in  and 
out  of  a  little  room  adjoining  the  office,  where  a  supply 
of  torch-light-procession  whiskey  for  the  occasion  was 
kept  and  being  dealt  out  freely. 

The  programme  as  arranged  by  the  committee  on  ar 
rangements  was  as  follows :  Raising  the  flag,  three 
cheers  for  McKinley  and  Ilobart,  three  cheers  for  Ansel 
Hicks,  Star-Spangled  Banner  by  the  band,  speech  by 
Ansel  Hicks,  music  by  the  band. 

The  flag  was  very  nicely  hoisted,  and  it  spread  out  in 
the  breeze  as  beautifully  as  a  true  patriot  could  wish  to 
see  it.  Then  Tim,  pushing  Joe  into  the  street,  sug 
gested  that  it  was  the  proper  time  for  the  three  cheers. 
Joe  ran  out  under  the  flag,  and  proudly  taking  off  his 
cap  waved  it  in  the  air  and  sung  out,  "  three  cheers  fer 
—  fer  —  fer  —  three  cheers  — ."  The  boys  saw  that  he 
was  bewildered  and  had  forgotten  the  names  of  the  Re- 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  245 

publican  candidates,  and  somebody  volunteered,  as  Joe 
supposed,  to  help  him  out  of  his  dilemma  by  saying, 
just  loud  enough  for  Joe  to  hear  him,  "  For  Bryan  and 
Hicks,"  and  then  Joe,  with  renewed  vigor  and  at  the 
top  of  his  voice,  yelled  out,  "  three  cheers  for  Bryan  and 
Hicks,  hip !  hip !  hooray !  "  The  crowd,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  Ansel,  were  so  amused  at  Joe's  great  blunder 
that  they  all  cheered  and  laughed  to  help  poor  Joe  out 
of  his  difficulty,  until  the  band  struck  up  the  Star- 
Spangled  Banner.  When  the  band  finished  the  soul- 
stirring  patriotic  air,  Ansel  stepped  forward  to  deliver  a 
speech. 

Ansel  commenced  by  apologizing  for  Joe's  great 
blunder  in  offering  three  cheers  for  Bryan,  who  was  op 
posed  to  a  tariif  on  blueberries,  and  was  just  getting  to 
a  point  where  he  was  paying  himself  a  compliment,  when 
some  one  interrupted  him  by  yelling,  "  Fire  I  fire  !  fire  !  " 
The  speaker  stopped,  and  the  crowd  looked  around,  and 
sure  enough  there  was  to  be  seen  smoke  coming  through 
every  open  window  in  the  hotel  from  cellar  to  garret, 
and  a  rush  was  made  into  the  house,  and  furniture  and 
bedding  began  to  come  out  of  the  second  and  third  story- 
windows,  the  same  as  waste  stuff  thrown  from  a  kind 
ling-wood  factory. 

By  the  time  they  got  everything  removed  from  the 
second  and  third  stories  of  the  tavern  and  had  carried 
out  the  burning-hot,  big  kitchen  range,  an  attempt  was 
made  to  take  the  organ  apart  in  order  to  get  it  out  through 
the  door,  when  suddenly  some  one  discovered  that  the 
house  was  not  on  fire  and  that  the  smoke  came  from  a 
disconnected  stovepipe  in  the  office.  It  seems  that  the 


246  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

stove  placed  near  the  wall  was  full  of  paper,  that  had  been 
accumulating  there  since  the  removal  of  the  pipe  in  the 
spring,  and  on  that  evening  some  one,  unintentional  of 
harm,  had  thrown  a  lighted  cigar-stub  into  it,  which 
ignited  the  paper  and  caused  the  commotion. 

When  the  real  cause  of  the  alarm  became  known 
the  excitement  subsided,  and  the  more  thoughtful  Re 
publicans  tried  to  get  the  crowd  together  and  have 
Ansel  finish  his  speech.  They  looked  around  and  were 
unable  to  find  him.  They  asked  Tim  what  had  become 
of  the  speaker,  and  he  began  a  search  which  extended 
everywhere,  even  to  the  stable,  when  the  hostler  in 
formed  him  that  Ansel  had  been  there  and  got  his  horse 
and  started  for  the  Falls. 

The  fun  and  excitement  of  the  flag-raising  furnished 
merriment  for  everybody  that  attended,  for  the  remain 
der  of  the  season  ;  but  Tim  was  so  thoroughly  disgusted 
with  Ansel's  deserting  them  that  evening  that  he  made 
no  further  effort  in  his  behalf.  However,  the  Saturday 
evening  before  the  election  day,  a  powerful,  stirring 
speaker  lectured  at  Squirmtown  in  the  interests  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  discussed  in  an  eloquent  and 
forcible  manner  the  dangers  of  a  Democratic  adminis 
tration  tinkering  with  the  tariff  on  lumber,  which  would 
mean  death  to  the  principal  industry  of  Maine,  and 
promised  that  the  Republican  party  would  put  a  higher 
duty  on  blueberries. 

The  day  of  election  dawned,  almost  without  any  in 
terest  in  the  people  of  either  Blueberry  Falls  or  at  Squ inn- 
town,  but  later  in  the  day  an  occasional  group  might  be 
found  discussing  the  question  of  tariff  on  lumber  and 


THE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN.  247 

blueberries  ;  but  no  one  seemed  interested  in  the  can 
didacy  for  office  of  Mr.  Hicks  ;  in  fact,  they  scarcely  gave 
him  a  thought  in  connection  with  the  election. 

The  polls  finally  closed.  To  the  amazement  of  every 
body  the  Republican  party  was  victorious,  as  it  carried 
the  blueberry  district  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  the 
first  victory  there  in  forty  years ;  and  of  course  Ansel 
Hicks  was  elected  Representative  to  the  Legislature. 


CHAPTER  XXVIT. 

THE    ANTI-HITTER    LAW. 

THE  victory  of  the  Republican  party  in  the  blue 
berry  district  was  a  surprise  to  everybody.  But 
when  it  had  been  considered  that  the  growth  of  Squire- 
town  brought  many  Republican  voters  into  the  district 
since  the  previous  election,  and  that  some  of  those  in 
terested  in  the  blueberry  industry  changed  their  poli 
tics  on  account  of  the  favorable  prospect  of  a  higher 
tariff  being  placed  on  blueberries,  it  could  be  easily  seen 
that  the  Republicans  might  have  claimed  a  walk-over 
from  the  start,  had  there  been  anybody  there  sufficiently 
interested  to  make  a  canvass  of  the  situation.  Notwith 
standing  that  Republican  shouters  were  hysterically 
shrieking  their  joy  over  the  triumph  of  the  party,  only 
a  few  of  Ansel's  most  intimate  friends  thought  of  him 
in  connection  with  the  victory.  While  his  neighbors 
were  slow  to  congratulate  him  on  his  success  in  being 
elected  to  an  important  office,  letters  began  to  pour  in 
from  people  he  never  had  heard  of,  extending  the  most 
cordial  congratulations  upon  his  great  victory.  It  is 
surprising  when  a  man  has  been  elected  to  the  legisla 
ture  how  quickly  every  one  who  has  any  political  aspira 
tions  or  pet  hobby  learns  his  address  and  solicits  his 
influence.  Ansel  soon  began  to  receive  letters  from 
high  officials,  addressed  to  him  as  "  Honorable  Ansel 

2!8 


THE  ANTI-BITTER  LAW.  249 

Hicks,"  asking  for  support  in  political  matters,  and  it 
was  enough  to  make  him  feel  that  he  was  really  sliding 
on  a  rainbow  to  some  exalted  station  in  life.  He  almost 
lost  his  head  with  so  much  notice  and  attention  from 
those  people  who  had  sent  him  the  courteous  letters, 
and  he  began  to  really  believe  that  his  personality 
caused  the  great  change  in  the  result  of  the  vote  in  the 
district. 

As  he  had  generally  been  looked  upon  as  the  most 
pronounced  temperance  fanatic  in  his  town,  those  in 
charge  of  proposed  legislation  in  the  cause  of  temperance, 
naturally  solicited  his  aid  in  their  work,  and  sent  a  man 
for  the  express  purpose  of  holding  a  conference  with 
him. 

The  Republicans  of  Squirmtown  were  so  elated  over 
the  result  of  the  election  that  plans  were  made  to  cele 
brate  the  great  victory  of  the  Republican  party  in  the 
district.  An  elaborate  programme  was  arranged  and 
carried  out  (as  it  happened)  on  the  evening  after  the 
temperance  man  had  called  on  Ansel. 

xVlmost  every  dwelling  was  illuminated  from  cellar  to 
garret,  a  merry  crowd  of  people  reveled  around  a  large 
bonfire  in  front  of  the  tavern,  a  brass  band  played  pop 
ular  airs,  a  bountiful  supper  was  provided  by  the  ladies 
at  the  vestry,  and  a  public  dance  was  held  in  the  hall. 
After  supper  had  been  served,  Ansel,  really  believing 
that  it  was  his  personality  that  had  won  the  victory 
and  that  he  was  the  incentive  of  all  this  hilarity,  fol 
lowed  the  crowd  to  the  hall.  When  he  entered  some 
of  the  boys  yelled  out,  "  Speech,  speech,  Mr.  Hicks  ! 
Mr.  I  licks  !  "  Without  further  invitation  Ansel  walked 


250  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE 

up  onto  the  stage  for  the  purpose  of  responding  to  the 
wishes  of  an  audience  that  seemed  so  anxious  to  be 
favored  with  an  exhortation  from  him.  He  did  make  a 
speech.  Such  a  harangue  on  absurd  temperance  notions 
was  never  before  uttered  in  public.  Whatever  had 
been  said  to  him  by  the  temperance  man,  evidently 
worked  him  up  to  a  pitch  where  he  was  in  a  craze  on 
the  subject  of  temperance.  No  people  ever  received 
such  a  shock  as  those  engaged  in  the  blueberry-bitter 
industry.  He  attacked  them  in  the  most  abusive  man 
ner,  and  condemned  the  business  as  a  menace  to  public 
welfare.  And  said  it  was  "  likker-sellin'  o'  ther  wust 
kind,"  and  emphatically  declared  that  he  was  going  to 
have  a  law  enacted  "  that  'ud  stop  ther  sale  o'  sich  vile 
pizen."  Everybody  in  the  audience  in  any  way  con 
nected  with  the  bitter  industry  left  the  hall  in  disgust, 
wondering  why  they  had  ever  allowed  such  a  man  to  be 
elected  to  a  public  office. 

The  next  morning  "  funeral  services  ''  were  held  at 
the  office  of  Deacon  Squirm's  bottling  establishment, 
where  the  principal  people  engaged  in  the  bitter  indus 
try  congregated  to  condole  with  each  other  on  the 
death  sentence  to  their  business  pronounced  by  Ansel 
at  the  public  meeting  the  night  previous.  Ben  Duncan 
was  the  last  of  the  fraternity  to  call,  and  when  he  came 
in  said,  "  Deacon,  how'd  you  like  the  way  'lection 
turned  ;  s'pose  yer  proud  of  yer  brother-in-law  ?  " 

"  Ansel  Hicks  is  no  brother-in-law  to  me.  When  my 
sister  died  I  don't  consider  he  was  no  more  relation  to 
me,"  answered  Deacon  Squirm. 

"  Well,  I  know  yer  can't  have  much  love  for  that 


THE  ANTI-BITTER  LAW.  251 

thunderin'  old  ineddler,  to  say  nothin'  about  claimin'  re 
lationship  ter  sich  a  thunderin'  idiot,"  said  Ben. 

•'  You  know  there's  no  need  ter  ask  me  what  I  think 
o*  how  'lection  went,"  growled  out  the  old  man  Spencer, 
who  claimed  to  be  the  only  one  of  the  mourners  that  had 
not  voted  for  Ansel ;  "  I'm  a  dem'crat,  was  born  a  dem'- 
crat,  always  been  a  dem'crat.  I  told  them  when  they 
wanted  me  ter  change  over  on  'ccount  o'  ther  tariff,  that 
there's  no  whifflin'  round  with  me,  fer  I  never  split  my 
ticket  nor  change  it  fer  nobody,  and  that  I  wuz  a-goin'  ter 
vote  ther  straight  dem'crat  ticket,  so  yer  see  I  didn't  git 
in  ter  no  scrape  an'  vote  fer  Ansel.  Some  on  yer  now 
say't  yer  didn't  know  't  Anse's  name  wuz  on  thet  ticket  or 
yer  wouldn't  er  voted  on  ther  Republican  side.  But  then, 
now  that's  past,  I  don't  b'lieve  in  sellin'  likker  no  more 
'n  ther  rest  o'  yer,  and  when  I  put  up  a  bottle  o'  Spen 
cer's  IXL  bitters,  I  don't  ask  no  man  ter  drink  it  unless 
he's  ailin'  with  some  of  the  diseases  what's  printed  on  ther 
label.  My  bitters  ain't  no  more  'toxicatin'  than  any  o' 
ther  rest  o'  these  great  rem'dies  advertised  in  ther  city 
papers.  But  then,  Dan  Giles,  I  b'lieve  if  ther  devil  wuz 
on  the  Republican  ticket  you'd  vote  fer  him." 

"  I'm  a  Republican,"  answered  Dan,  "  but  who'd  ever 
a  thought  of  Ansel  Hicks  a-bein'  'lected?  I  vote  fer 
principle,  and  not  fer  men,  because  I  b'lieve  in  ther 
principle  of  my  party." 

"  Don't  matter  'bout  politics  nor  principles  of  any 
party,  I  don't  b'lieve  in  likker-sellin',  no  more'n  I  do 
'bout  breaking  ther  Ten  Commandments ;  an'  further 
more,  don't  think  this  'air  business  of  puttin'  up  blue 
berry  bitters  has  nothin'  ter  do  with  temperance  busi- 


252  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

ness ;  bless  yer  life,  I  can  git  a  testimonial  free  from 
any  preacher  that  has  held  service  in  our  church  this 
two  year,  that  they've  been  cured  of  somethin'  or 
t'other  with  my  bitters"  exasperatedly  remarked  the 
deacon,  as  he  slapped  his  hand  on  his  knee. 

One  of  the  Hunt  brothers,  who  was  the  youngest  and 
most  business-like  member  of  the  party,  quietly  said 
that  they  should  make  an  effort  to  get  the  most  in 
fluential  people  in  the  vicinity  to  talk  with  Ansel,  and 
perhaps  they  might  prevail  on  him  to  not  ask  for  any 
legislation  that  would  tend  to  paralyze  the  chief  indus 
try  of  the  district,  and  suggested  that  Tim  Cronin 
seemed  to  have  considerable  influence  with  Ansel,  and 
that  he  believed  Tim  would  be  the  proper  person  to  talk 
first  with  the  member-elect. 

"  If  Lawyer  Glidden  was  only  here  I  know  he'd  be 
just  the  one  ter  handle  Anse,"  remarked  Deacon 
Squirm. 

"Well,  he  hain't  here,  so't  we'll  have  ter  do  thernext 
best,"  responded  Dan  Giles. 

At  this  juncture  of  the  meeting  the  dinner  bell  rang, 
and  as  it  had  been  definitely  decided  to  seek  Tim's  as 
sistance  and  to  bend  all  their  forces  on  him  to  handle 
Ansel,  the  gathering  dispersed. 

They  saw  Tim  and  asked  him  to  talk  with  Ansel 
about  the  proposed  "  Anti-Bitter  Law,''  and  to  try  and 
prevail  on  him  not  to  make  any  move  that  would  ruin 
the  future  prospects  of  Squirm  town. 

Tim  immediately  promised  to  use  his  influence  on 
Ansel  in  behalf  of  the  business  interests,  but  reminded 
them  that  the  old  gentleman  had  become  quite  cgotis- 


THE  ANTI-BITTER  LAW.  253 

tical  since  election,  and  that  it  would  undoubtedly  be 
difficult  to  reason  with  him  about  the  matter.  "  His 
whole  hobby  is  temperance,  and  you  know  what  that 
means?  "  said  Tim  to  Deacon  Squirm  and  Dan  Giles  as 
they  discussed  the  matter. 

Tim  did  take  an  earnest  interest  in  the  alarming  con 
dition,  and  was  very  much  concerned  about  the  dangers 
from  such  a  law  to  the  business  interests  of  the  place. 
He  talked  the  matter  over  with  Ansel,  and  tried  to  rea 
son  with  him  about  the  serious  effect  an  "  Anti-Bitter 
Law  "  would  have  upon  business  in  general  through 
out  the  district;  but  Ansel  had  become  desperate  in  his 
desire  to  do  something  for  the  cause  of  temperance  and 
was  immovable. 

Tim  was  so  much  interested  that  he  took  a  team  and 
drove  out  to  Squirmtown  to  see  some  of  the  bitters 
people,  and  when  he  called  on  Dan  Giles  he  found  a 
number  of  the  proprietors  congregated  there,  and  they 
seemed  awfully  glad  to  see  him,  as  they  were  so  confi 
dent  in  his  ability  to  influence  Ansel  that  they  were  quite 
hopeful  that  his  visit  was  to  herald  good  news  to  them 
of  what  Ansel  would  do. 

"I  saw  Mr.  Hicks,"  said  Tim,  "and  am  awful  sorry 
to  report  that  he  is  very  set,  and  that  I  have  been  un 
able  to  do  anything  with  him.  He  is  really  insane  on 
the  subject ;  he  told  me  that  his  first  principle  was  for 
temperance,  that  his  second  was  to  stick  to  his  text, 
and  that  he's  going  to  put  the  law  through  if  it  ruins 
the  whole  nation.  He  practically  told  me  that  now  that 
he  is  elected,  he  does  not  propose  to  have  anybody  dic 
tate  to  him.  I'm  awfully  sorry,  but  felt  so  interested 


254  IKE  GLIDDEX  IN  MAINE. 

that  I  concluded  to  come  up  and  tell  you  that  I  have 
done  all  that  I  can  do  in  your  interests." 

"  I'm  disappinted,"  said  one  of  the  Hunt  boys ;  "  I 
was  quite  sure  that  he  would  listen  to  you." 

"I've  bin  riled  ever  since  I  hearn  tell  o'  this  'Anti- 
Bitter  Law,'  "  said  Dan  Giles. 

"  I'm  goin'  down  bymby  and  will  tell  Ansel  that  he  s 
a  reg'lar  natur'-born  fool,"  emphatically  said  Deacon 
Squirm. 

"  I  think,"  said  Hunt,  "  that  it  would  be  a  good  plau 
for  a  party  of  five  or  six  of  us  to  go  together  and  call  on 
Ansel,  and  perhaps  we  might  succeed  in  combing  those 
notions  out  of  the  old  man's  head." 

They  all  agreed  that  it  would  be  a  feasible  thing  to  do, 
and  that  it  might  bring  about  a  satisfactory  result. 

They  held  a  conference  with  Ansel  that  evening,  and 
about  all  the  satisfaction  they  received  from  the  member- 
elect  was,  "  I'm  a-goin'  to  stick  to  my  text,  and  you 
can't  get  me  ter  go  back  on  my  principles  fer  ther  sake 
of  whims  and  friends  nor  nobudy  else.  I'm  a  temper 
ance  man,  I  be." 

The  next  day  when  the  proprietors  of  the  bottling 
establishments  met  to  talk  over  their  deplorable  situa 
tion  and  the  crisis  they  might  expect,  Deacon  Squirm 
was  the  first  to  open  the  conference,  and  he  commenced, 
"'cordin  to  last  night's  talk  with  that  tarnel  fool,  'tain't 
no  use  talkin'  ter  him ;  I've  'bout  made  up  my  mind, 
bein'  as  ther  burglars  didn't  clean  me  out,  guess  I  kin 
live  even  if  I  don't  put  up  no  more  blueberry  bitters." 

"  Ain't  gettin'  scairt  a'ready,"  said  Dan  Giles. 

"  Oh,  no,  but  re'illy  every  time  it  storms  I  have  the 


THE  ANTI-BITTER  LAW.  255 

reumatiz  so  stiddy  that  I've  been  tellin'  my  wife  we'd 
got  'nough  to  take  care  o'  us  ther  rest  o'  our  days,  and 
rnebbe  I'd  quit  bizziness  altogether,"  said  Deacon 
Squirm. 

"  I  knowed  'twarn't  no  use  tryin'  ter  make  no  com. 
pramize  with  Ansel,"  said  the  old  man  Spencer;  "he's 
dreadful  sot ;  I'm  'fraid  Ansel  would  pitch  on  me  fust, 
cause  he  allus  blamed  me  for  breakin'  up  a  match  'twixt 
him  an'  ther  Widder  Garland." 

"  Cal'late  'twill  be  no  use  goin'  agin'  ther  law,  'cause 
it  will  be  thun'drin'  hard  to  back  Ansel  down,  if  he  gets 
that  anti-law  put  thro',"  said  Deacon  Squirm. 

"  If  Ansel  gets  ther  law  thro'  he'll  have  the  hull  o  us 
in  jail  within  six  months  unless  we  quit  biziness,"  said 
the  old  man  Spencer. 

" 'Twas  all  an  axident  anyway,  his  bein'  'lected,  said 
Dan  Giles,  "but  then  as  he's  'lected,  he'll  do  as  he 
pleases,  and  I  think  it  would  be  fo'lish  for  us  ter  try 
ter  do  biziness  if  he  is  a-goin'  ter  legislatur.  Wouldn't 
have  my  name  mixed  up  with  a  likker  case,  and  disgrace 
my  dar'ters  for  ther  whole  Barrens.  And  I  cal'late  An 
sel  would  jest  like  ther  glory  o'  pullin'  us  all  down  to 
high  court  in  ther  spring.  J'na  goin'  ter  quit  in  time, 
and  not  be  sorry  bumby. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    SYNDICATE. 

DURING  an  afternoon  while  the  Village  Loafers' 
Association  was  holding  its  daily  session  at  the 
office  of  Sampson's  tavern,  a  short,  red-faced  man  who 
sat  on  the  counter  said,  "  Ain't  that  'air  Ansel  Hicks  a 
grate  one  ter  send  ter  Legislator  ?  " 

"  That's  so,"  said  a  tall,  lank  individual  who  was 
standing  up  and  leaning  against  a  post,  "  but  'twas  an 
axident ;  no  one  'spected  ther  deestrict  ter  go  Republi- 
ken,  so  nobody  ever  'onct  thought  of  Ansel's  bein' 
'looted." 

After  a  moment's  silence  the  person  sitting  on  the 
counter  said,  "  Accordin'  ter  what  they  sed  'bout  his 
storebooks  when  he  failed  an'  went  inter  insolv'cy,  he 
can't  know  'nough  ter  go  ter  'Gusty  (Augusta)  and 
repprasent  us,  'cause  they  sed  it  'ud  take  a  Phillydelphy 
lawyer  ter  figger  out  one  of  his  'ccounts." 

"  I  calc'late  he'll  just  spile  the  biziness  of  this  place 
just  the  same,  if  he  stops  'em  puttin'  up  blueberry  bit 
ters,"  said  Eben  Moody,  who  sat  in  the  middle  of  the 
room  and  seemed  to  be  acting  as  chairman  of  the  gath 
ering,  "and  I'm  'fraid  he's  so  sot  agin*  ther  old  man 
Spencer,  and  some  more  of  'em,  'taint  no  use  ter  try  ter 
make  no  comprimize  with  him." 

"  They're  mighty  scairt  about  it,  and  they  all  got 

256 


THE    SYNDICATE.  257 

tergither  ter  see  what  could  be  done  with  the  old  fellow, 
but  'twa'n't  any  gre't  satisfaction,  'cause  the  more  they 
sed  ter  Ansel  the  more  he  seemed  to  be  pizened  agin' 
them,  and  when  they  found  ther'  war  n't  a  shadder  of  a 
chance  ter  do  anything  with  him  they  giv  it  up.  'Twill 
make  a  big  difference  with  biziness  'round  here  I  tell 
yer,"  said  Joe,  the  proprietor  of  the  tavern. 

"  Well,  they  can't  drive  the  Hunt  brothers  out  of 
business,"  said  Eben  in  a  boasting  manner,  "  'cause 
'cordin'  ter  what  I've  hearn,  they  are  goin'  right  ahead, 
and  they're  goin'  to  keep  right  along  in  biziness  and 
will  defy  Ansel,  and  I  hear  some  t'others  are  goin'  ter 
do  ther  same  thing." 

"  Yes,  I  heard  the  same  report ;  some  one  sed  they 
were  all  goin'  to  do  so,"  said  Joe,  "but  I  understand 
they  found  'twould  be  no  use  and  they  fin'lly  giv  up 
that  notion." 

"  Well,  I  don't  re'lly  know,  but  they  say  some  will 
want  to  stand  from  under,  if  that  old  fellow  gets  his 
law  through,"  rejoined  a  travelling  man  that  happened 
to  be  there  when  the  all-important  topic  of  the  day  was 
being  discussed. 

"Looks  as  though  the  prospects  of  this  village  won't 
be  very  good  if  that's  the  case,"  said  Eben.  Just  then 
the  stage  drove  up  in  front  of  the  door,  and  a  short,  thick 
set  man  with  full  beard  got  out  and  entered  the  tavern, 
registered,  and  was  assigned  to  the  corner  room  over 
the  office. 

When  the  new  arrival  went  to  his  room,  the  subject 
changed  as  to  who  and  what  the  business  of  the  stranger 
might  be.  Ame  Blibbers  said,  "  Wonder  who  that  is." 

"  Looks  like  a  feriner,"  responded  Eben. 


258  IKE   GL1DDEN   IN    MAINE. 

"  No,  don't  think  he's  a  feriner,  but  b'lieve  he  looks 
like  a  Jew,"  said  Ame,  with  rather  a  puzzled  air. 

"  Yes,  he's  either  a  feriner  or  a  Jew  I  should  say," 
said  the  landlord,  as  though  his  opinion  on  the  subject 
might  be  as  good  as  any  of  the  others. 

"  Well,  I  bet  the  cider  for  the  crowd  that  he's  a  Jew," 
said  Ame,  daring  the  whole  association. 

"I'll  take  that  bet,  "cause  he  hain't  no  Jew;  he's  a 
feriner,"  said  Eben,  in  answer  to  Ame's  offer  to  bet  on 
the  ancestry  of  the  stranger,  and  as  they  were  about  to 
arrange  the  terms  of  the  wager,  the  new  guest  came 
downstairs,  stepped  to  the  counter,  handed  one  of  his 
cards  to  the  landlord,  at  the  same  time  saying  in  a  low 
tone,  "  I  vant  ter  puy  some  lant." 

"  Want  ter  buy  land,"  said  Joe,  "  why,  bless  yer 
life,  there's  plenty  of  it  'round  here,  and  guess  yer  can 
buy  ah1  yer  want,  an'  at  yer  own  price  too." 

"  Veil  I's  vant  cheep  landt,"  said  the  stranger. 

"  Cheap  land !  well,  I  guess  you  can  get  it  at  almost 
any  price  you  would  be  willin'  ter  pay  for  it.  What  in 
the  world  do  you  want  of  it  ?  "  asked  Joe,  in  his  usual 
curious  manner. 

"  I  haf  a  man  vat  vants  ter  make  a  ranch  ter  raise 
Angora  goats,"  answered  the  real-estate  man. 

"  Here,  Eben,  you  take  this  gen'leman  over  and  inter- 
duce  him  to  Deacon  Squirm ;  he's  got  mor'gidges  now 
on  a  good  many  old  places,  and  guess  he'd  be  willin'  ter 
pay  c'mission  ter  anybody  that  'ud  help  him  sell  'em," 
said  Joe. 

They  proceeded  to  the  deacon's,  whose  first  proposi 
tion  was  that  if  the  stranger  would  buy  out  his  bitter 


THE   SYNDICATE.  259 

business,  he  might  sell  all  the  land  that  he  had  any 
interest  in  at  a  very  reasonable  price. 

"  Veil,  I  don't  mint  ter  look  at  your  beeziness,  and 
perhaps  I  might  sell  it  fer  you.  I  sometimes  act  fer 
peoples  that  vants  ter  sell." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  the  deacon,  "  if  you  will  take 
hold  and  help  me  to  sell  out,  I  will  pay  you  well  for  it. 
But  I  can't  talk  any  more  with  you  now.  Come  over 
ter-morrer  an'  I'll  talk  with  you.  I'm  in  a  dredful 
hurry  ter  go  down  an'  see  Tim  Cronin  'bout  the  thun- 
d'rin'  old  fool  that's  been  'lected  to  the  legislatery, 
who's  a-goin'  to  stop  us  a-sellin'  bitters,  so,  yer  see,  if 
we  can't  do  biziness  no  longer  I'm  goin'  ter  sell  out." 

"Veil,  maybe  if  it's  that  way,  perhaps  I  don't  vants 
ter  puy.  If  yer  can't  sell  des  bitters,  vy  I  don't  vants 
te  peesiness,"  said  the  stranger. 

"  Well,  I  can't  talk  any  more  with  you  now,  because 
I'm  goin'  down  again  ter  see  Tim.  Good  day,  come  over 
again  and  perhaps  we  can  trade,"  said  the  deacon  in  a 
flutter  of  excitement. 

That  afternoon  a  number  of  the  business  people  went 
down  to  see  Tim,  and  after  discussing  the  situation  a 
while  he  said  to  them,  "  I  have  been  giving  the  matter 
serious  thought,  and  really  believe  I  have  devised  a 
scheme  whereby  we  may  be  able  to  handle  Mr.  Hicks. 
That  is  if  you  people  will  agree  to  the  proposition." 

"  Agree  ter  anything,  so  long  as  we  won't  be  drove 
out  o'  business.  What  is  the  scheme,  Tim?  Let's  hear 
it ;  we  are  all  anxious  you  know,"  said  Dan  Giles. 

"  Well  it  is  this ;  while  I  would  not  think  of  offering 
Mr.  Hicks  any  money  to  change  his  course  of  action,  I 


260  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

think  that  there  may  be  some  other  practical  method  of 
restraining  his  actions. 

"What  is  it?  Let's  know  what  you  mean,  Tim?" 
anxiously  asked  Deacon  Squirm. 

"  It  is  this,"  said  Tim,  "you  know  Mr.  Hicks  has  no 
direct  interest  in  your  business,  and  for  that  reason  can 
not  be  made  to  feel  the  injury  that  the  new  law  would 
cause  you.  People  are  all  more  or  less  selfish,  you  un 
derstand.  He  is  interested  in  temperance,  but  is  not 
interested  in  the  bitter  business,  so  he  is  partial  to  his 
interests,  and  not  to  yours,  therefore  that  is  probably 
the  reason  why  we  are  unable  to  do  anything  with  him. 
Now  let's  make  him  interested  in  the  bitter  business,  and 
we  will  then  see  which  he  will  be  most  favorable  to,  the 
one  he  can  derive  a  profit  from  in  money  or  the  one  in 
which  the  dividends  will  only  be  imaginary  glory." 

"  An  interest !  why  how'd  that  stop  him?  "  inquired  the 
old  man  Spencer. 

"  I  mean  that  you  will  let  him  enjoy  a  share  of  the 
profits  of  the  business.  A  consideration  like  that  will 
have  more  persuasion  on  him  than  any  talk  you  or  I  can 
have,"  said  Tim. 

"  How  er  yer  goin'  ter  do  it,  Tim  ?  We'll  do  any 
thing  you  say  's  all  right,  Tim.  All  we  ask  is  ter  get 
Anse  switched  off  his  temp'rance  notions,  for  I  s'pose 
he'll  ruin  ther  business  ter  smash  if  we  don't,"  said  the 
deacon. 

"  That's  it,  how  be  yer  a-goin'  ter  gag  ther  old  idiot, 
anyway  ?  "  again  inquired  Mr.  Spencer. 

"  The  plan  is  this  ;  form  a  corporation,  consolidate  all 
the  blueberry-bitter  interests,  conduct  the  entire  industry 


THE  SYNDICATE.  261 

under  one  management,  take  Mr.  Hicks  in  with  you  and 
make  him  president  of  the  company.  In  fact  you  will 
then  have  a  trust ;  combine  all  the  interests  under  one 
head, —  even  the  temperance  faction  of  this  section  will 
then  be  united  with  the  bitter  trade.  This  is  an  era  of 
trusts,  and  combinations  seem  to  be  the  order  of  the  day. 
I  think  that  if  you  make  the  old  gentleman  president  of 
the  company  it  will  please  him.  Then,  of  course,  you 
will  give  him  a  few  shares  of  promoters'  stock  in  the 
corporation,  same  as  the  organizers  of  large  companies 
usually  receive,"  explained  Tim. 

"  That  'ill  be  all  right.  You  get  Anse  ter  stand  fer 
it,  and  every  one  on  us  will  jine  yer  in  company,"  re 
sponded  the  deacon. 

"  Yes,  we'll  make  Anse  precident,  an'  that  'ill  make 
'im  feel  bigger'n  he  does  now,"  said  the  old  man  Spen 
cer. 

"Who'll  be  General  Business  Manager?"  inquired 
Harry  Hunt. 

"  That's  so  ;  who'd  it  better  be  ?  Why,  Tim,  you're 
jest  the  cut  fer  it,"  said  the  deacon. 

And  it  was  then  and  there  understood  that  Tim  was 
fully  authorized  to  submit  the  proposition. 

Ansel  was  very  favorably  impressed  with  the  sugges 
tion,  but  was  rather  selfish  in  regard  to  the  shares  that 
he  should  hold.  He  insisted  that  his  influence  would 
prove  of  great  value  to  the  new  company,  and  that  at 
least  fifty  per  cent  of  the  entire  stock  should  be  given  to 
him  for  services  that  he  might  render  the  company  in 
the  future. 

Tim  reminded  him  that  it  was  much  more  than  he 


262  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

should  expect,  but  the  old  gentleman  was  determined 
that  he  must  have  a  half  interest  in  the  enterprise — yet 
he  was  not  going  to  invest  any  money  in  it.  The  pro 
pensity  of  Ansel  to  be  selfish  and  unreasonable  had  a 
tendency  to  almost  dishearten  Tim  from  further  efforts 
to  secure  a  compromise  between  the  business  men  and 
Ansel.  He  went  up  to  Squirmtown  again,  and  after 
leaving  his  horse  at  Joe  Sampson's  stable,  started  up 
street  to  the  deacon's,  but  met  the  deacon,  Dan  Giles 
and  Ben  Duncan  in  the  street.  Tim  told  them  Mr. 
Hicks  was  willing  to  be  president  of  the  company. 

"  Good !  knew't  you'd  fetch  him,"  said  Dan  Giles. 

"  Hold  on  please,  Mr.  Giles,  till  I  get  through,"  said 
Tim.  "  But  the  old  fellow  wants  fifty  per  cent  of  the 
whole  business.  I've  done  my  best,  and  now  you  can 
do  as  you  think  best  —  give  him  fifty  per  cent  or  not." 

"  We  won't  do  no  sich  thing,"  said  Dan  Giles,  almost 
exasperatedly.  "  'Tis  blackmail ;  wus'n  that ;  I'll  give 
everything  I've  got  away  b'fore  I'll  give  that  old  idiot 
anything  now." 

"  So  '11  I,"  joined  in  Deacon  Squirm. 

"  Don't  get  frightened,  gentlemen.  Really  I  do  not 
think  that  Mr.  Hicks  has  sufficient  influence  to  secure 
the  passage  of  such  a  law,"  said  Tim. 

"  Don't  care ;  I've  made  up  my  mind  ter  sell,  an'  I'm 
goin'  out  o'  the  biziness  anyway  if  I'd  only  find  some  one 
ter  buy.  B'fore  Anse  wuz  'lected  could  sold  ter  most 
any  one,  an'  fer  a  good  price,  but  now  I  don't  know  how 
't  'ill  be.  If  some  on  them  fellers  that  wuz  here  from 
Boston  last  spring  ter  buy  me  out  'ud  come  'long  now, 
p'raps  they  wouldn't  know  nothin'  'bout  Anse's  bein' 
'lected  an'  I'd  sell  to  'em,"  said  the  deacon. 


THE  SYNDICATE.  263 

At  this  juncture  Tim  showed  great  sagacity  and  bus 
iness  wisdom.  I'd  buy  you  out  quick  if  I  had  sufficient 
means,  and  run  the  risk  of  Mr.  Hicks  troubling  me," 
said  Tim. 

"  No,  p'raps  he  wouldn't  trouble  you,  Tim.  But  if 
yer  want  ter  buy  me  out,  money  or  no  money,  yer  can, 
and  yer  can  have  all  ther  time  ter  pay  me  yer  want,  so 
long's  yer  give  me  six  per  cent,"  said  the  deacon. 

"  I'll  sell  yer  mine,  too,  an'  yer  can  pay  me  jest  ther 
same  way,  for  I  want  yer  to  have  it,  jest  ter  see  how 
yer'll  handle  Anse,"  said  Dan  Giles. 

"  Mine,  too,"  said  Spencer. 

"  All  right,  gentlemen,  I'll  buy  out  each  of  you,  pro 
viding  the  other  parties  engaged  in  the  business  will 
combine  with  me  and  form  a  syndicate,"  responded 
Tim. 

"  Ye'll  have  ter  give  Anse  fifty  per  cent,"  said  the 
deacon. 

"  I  don't  care  about  Anse,"  responded  Tim. 

"  Tim,  don't  give  Anse  a  dam'  thing.  Bet  yer  can 
beat  him  out  in  a  fight,  'cause  you  know  how  t'  do  them 
things,  but  yer  see  we  don't  know  nothin'  'bout  it.  If 
yer  git  up  a  war  with  Anse,  an'  yer  need  any  money 
ter  back  yer  up  in  ther  scramble  fer  supremacy,  the 
deacon  an'  me  'ill  help  yer  out ;  won't  we,  deacon  ? " 
said  Dan. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  it'll  do  me  lots  o'  good  ter  see  yer  give 
Anse  a  wollopin'  after  all  ther  fuss  he's  a-kicked  up." 

Tim  bought  out  several  others  engaged  in  the  busi 
ness,  and  then  the  remainder  of  them  had  such  confi 
dence  in  Tim's  honesty  and  ability  that  they  readily 


264  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

combined  with  him  in  forming  the  American  Blueberry- 
Bitter  Co.,  with  control  of  all  the  blueberry  plains,  the 
business,  labels  and  copyrights  of  the  entire  bitter  in 
dustry.  In  this  deal  Tim  owned  a  controlling  interest 
of  the  stock,  and  was  made  president  and  manager  of 
the  company. 

"  Mr.  Hicks,  we  have  formed  a  corporation,' '  said  Tim, 
"  and  have  blended  all  the  blueberry-bitter  interests,  so 
that  the  industry  will  be  carried  on  in  future  under  one 
management.  I  am  in  hopes  to  be  able  to  raise  the 
standard  of  the  goods,  and  to  conduct  the  business  in 
accordance  with  up-to-date  plans." 

"Am  mighty  glad  yer've  got  it  all  fixed  up,  Tim," 
responded  Ansel. 

"  Yes,  it  was  quite  an  important  transaction  for  a  man 
like  me  to  carry  out,  and  I  fully  realize  that  it  will  re 
quire  all  my  energies  and  attention  to  make  a  business 
of  its  magnitude  a  successful  one." 

"  When  be  I  a-goin'  ter  get  my  share  of  it,  Tim  ?  " 

"  Your  share  I  I  was  not  aware  that  you  had  any  in 
terest  in  it." 

"  Of  course  I've  got  a  share  in  it." 

"  You  have  invested  no  money  in  it  to  my  knowledge. 
Perhaps  it  is  your  intention  to  buy  some  shares  of  the 
capital  stock,  and  if  so  I'd  be  very  glad  to  see  you  own 
an  interest  with  us." 

"  No,  I  haven't  got  no  money  to  put  in.  But  I'm  to 
have  a  half  interest,  ain't  I  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  think  so.  I  do  not  know  of  any  reason 
why  you  should  harbor  such  a  delusion." 

"  Hain't  I  ?  Well,  what  are  yer  a-goin'  ter  do  if 
there's  a  law  put  thro'  ter  stop  yer  a-sellin'  bitters  ?  " 


THE  SYNDICATE.  265 

"  Who  is  going  to  have  such  a  law  enacted  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  be." 

"  You  should  wait  until  you  are  legally  elected  and 
qualified  before  you  tell  about  what  legislation  you  are 
going  to  create." 

"  Hain't  I  already  'lected?  " 

"  No,  not  legally." 

"I'd  like  ter  know  ther  reason  o'  it?  what  d'yer 
mean,  Tim?  Don't  yer  go  a-bluffin'  me,  or  I'll  drive 
yer  comp'ny  ter  bankrup'cy.  I'm  'lected,  and  ev'ry  big 
man  in  ther  State's  'Iready  a-writin'  me  fer  support  on 
one  thing  or  t'other.  I'll  show  yer  that  yer  er  got  a 
man  o'  influence  ter  deal  with." 

;<  Mr.  Hicks,  it  is  evident  that  you  are  not  aware  that 
the  election  at  Squirmtown  was  conducted  in  an  irregu 
lar  manner,  even  the  returns  of  the  vote  are  defective, 
and  the  entire  vote  is  likely  to  be  thrown  out  if  anybody 
sees  fit  to  contest  the  matter.  I've  been  up  an'  exam 
ined  the  records,  and  the  whole  thing  is  irregular.  If 
you  were  not  so  unreasonable  as  to  really  demand  more 
than  a  large  share,  perhaps  we  might  have  considered 
the  matter  in  a  different  light,  and  have  given  you  a 
few  shares  of  stock.  But  since  you  have  shown  such  a 
selfish  and  despotic  spirit,  we  do  not  intend  to  give  you 
a  single  share." 

"  An'  yer  don't  mean  ter  say  t'  I  hain't  been  'lected  at 
all.  What  a  tormented  way  yer  a-takin'  ter  cheat  me 
out  o'  my  victery." 

"  Mr.  Hicks,  I  wish  to  have  you  distinctly  understand 
that  I  have  done  nothing  to  cheat  you  out  of  an  election. 
I've  simply  examined  the  records,  found  some  defects, 
and  have  informed  you  that  the  records  are  defective." 


26t>  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

"  Wish't  Lawyer  Glidden  was  here,  an'  he  wouldn't 
let  you  a-whiffle  me  out  o'  my  'lection,"  said  Ansel, 
lamentingly. 

"  I  am  not  trying  to  whiffle  you  out  of  your  rights. 
Possibly,  nobody  else  beside  me  knows  anything  about 
those  defects.  However,  I  shall  say  nothing  about  it 
to  the  Democrats.  All  I  ask  you  is  to  let  my  business 
and  my  affairs  alone." 

Ansel  was  so  overcome  by  the  startling  disclosure 
made  to  him  about  the  serious  doubt  of  his  election  that 
he  made  no  response  to  Tim,  but  went  directly  to  his 
home,  lie  was  really  in  an  agony  of  grief.  His  ambi 
tion  was  shattered,  his  scheme  to  secure  fifty  per  cent 
of  the  business  was  a  fizzle,  and  his  plans  to  dictate  to 
his  neighbors  were  frustrated.  He  remained  at  home, 
where  he  sank  into  a  fit  of  despondency.  Melancholy 
and  despair  took  the  place  of  dreams  of  a  dignified  po 
sition  in  the  community,  and  lie  showed  signs  of  weak 
ness  that  indicated  the  danger  of  a  mental  collapse.  It 
was  a  blow  that  he  was  unable  to  stand,  and  for  weeks 
he  was  under  the  care  and  treatment  of  his  physician. 

Although  Tim  had  found  the  defects  in  the  election 
records,  he  never  said  anything  about  the  matter  to 
anybody,  except  what  he  told  Ansel. 

No  further  move  was  made  in  regard  to  the  enactment 
of  anti-bitter  law,  and  the  business  continued  to  grow 
until  it  became  one  of  the  largest  enterprises  in  the 
State.  Tim  proved  capable  of  managing  a  business  of 
such  magnitude,  and  became  the  most  prominent  man  in 
the  district.  He  held  the  key  to  the  power  of  votes, 
controlled  the  blueberry  lands,  and  was  general  mana- 


THE  SYNDICATE.  267 

ger  of  the  chief  industry  of  the  section.  And  as  Joe 
Sampson  said  one  day,  while  they  were  speaking  of 
Tim's  remarkable  and  successful  career,  "  Well,  boys, 
they  can  say  now  what  they've  a  mint  ter  'bout  Tim, 
but  he's  King  o'  ther  Barrens  after  all." 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE  "BLUEBERRY"  MIXE. 

A  MAN  with  long  hair,  wearing  thick  boots  and  a 
blue  flannel  shirt,  sat  in  a  rough  little  room  in  the 
boss's  shanty  of  the  "  Blueberry  "  Mine  in  Idaho  behold 
ing  a  small  photograph  he  held  in  his  hand.  He  was 
the  figure  of  astute  loneliness,  and  plucked  at  a  sparse 
and  bristly  brown  beard.  He  was  an  amiable  and  intel 
ligent  man,  but  the  training  of  a  nice  or  even  respecta 
ble-looking  beard  was  beyond  his  skill.  Could  any  of 
his  lady  acquaintances  have  seen  him  at  this  time  they 
would  have  been  amused.  The  blueberry  mine  was  lo 
cated  in  a  dismal  canyon,  in  a  wretched  mountain  side, 
but  its  ore  was  rich,  and  yielded  the  owner  a  snug  for 
tune  each  month.  Its  value  had  been  disclosed  by  the 
untiring  efforts  of  the  shrewd  man  with  the  coarse  beard, 
and  the  profits  were  deposited  with  his  banker  in  Seattle 
with  prompt  regularity.  Yet  that  did  not  reconcile  his 
mind  to  the  cheerless  locality  of  the  mine.  The  photo 
graph  was  of  a  young  lady.  The  eyes  were  frank,  the 
lips  smiling,  and  the  head  was  covered  with  a  mass  of 
wavy  hair.  He  was  pleased  to  even  look  at  the  picture, 
which  to  him  failed  to  show  the  real  beauty  of  her  face. 
While  he  was  greatly  interested  in  the  subject  of  tin' 
photograph  his  mind  seemed  to  be  fully  occupied,  for  hf 
paused,  stared  at  the  distance  for  a  time,  and  appeared 


THE    "BLUEBERRY"    MINE.  269 

to  be  in  deep  thought.  He  was  simply  in  a  state  of 
reminiscence,  thinking  of  the  delightful  days  that  were 
so  precious  to  him.  He  felt  that  the  friends  whom  he 
left  behind  in  the  Blueberry  district  were  more  conge 
nial  than  any  of  his  new  acquaintances.  "Mandy,"  he 
mnttered  to  himself,  "  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  see  her 
again."  "  Nonsense,"  he  continued,  "  I  must  awake  from 
this  stupor  and  not  allow  myself  to  think  over  affairs  o± 
this  nature.  There,  what's  the  use,  after  all  ?  Half  of 
the  time  I  really  don't  know  whether  I'm  working  this 
mine  or  thinking  of  her.  I'm  going  East  mighty  soon, 
even  if  this  claim's  jumped  before  I  get  half  way  to 
Maine." 

Presently  the  mail  carrier's  mule  came  down  the 
mountain  road  and  stopped  in  front  of  the  shanty.  The 
door  opened  and  a  regular  Westerner  blurted  out,  "  Here's 
yer  mail." 

The  miner,  hurriedly  covering  the  photograph  with  an 
old  newspaper,  reached  his  hand  for  a  solitary  letter  that 
comprised  his  mail.  It  was  a  long  envelope,  of  the  size 
used  by  the  legal  fraternity,  addressed  to  him  in  coarse, 
brusque  handwriting.  Holding  it  up  he  beheld  the  post 
mark  "  Providence,  R.  /.,"  and  proceeded  to  tear  it  open, 
while  conjecturing  as  to  what  news  it  might  bring.  This 
is  what  its  contents  were  :  — 

PROVIDENCE,  R.  I., . 

Dear  Glidden :  I  have  been  trying  for  months  to  lo 
cate  you,  and  at  last  procured  your  address  from  a  medi 
cal  student  that  is  in  college  with  your  brother.  I  need 
you  as  a  witness  in  an  important  case  to  be  tried  at  Los 
Angeles  on  the  second  Monday  of  next  month. 


270  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN    MAINE. 

Be  sure  and  meet  me  at  Los  Angeles  on  the  Saturday 
before  the  case  opens,  and  I  will  pay  you  liberally  for 
your  time  and  services.  Should  you  need  money  to  pay 
your  fare  to  Los  Angeles,  telegraph  me  and  I  will  ad 
vance  the  necessary  funds.  Will  you  meet  me  there? 
Answer  at  once. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

HENRY  BURGESS. 

He  perused  the  letter  slowly,  studied  each  word,  and 
then  laid  it  on  the  rude  table,  picked  it  up  again  and 
read  and  reread  it.  It  was  a  puzzle  to  even  imagine 
what  the  nature  of  the  case  could  be,  but  he  sat  down  at 
once  to  answer  the  letter.  He  wrote  briefly,  but  explic 
itly  :  — 

BLUEBERRY  MINE, 
DISMAL  HOLLOW,  IDA. 

Hon.  HENRY  BURGESS,  Providence,  R.  I. 

Dear  Mr.  Burgess  :  Your  letter  received.  I  shall  meet 
you  in  Los  Angeles  at  the  time  stated. 

Yours  respectfully, 

ISAAC  GLIDDEN. 

"  There,"  he  said  when  he  had  finished,  ' '  That  will  let 
the  old  man  know  that  he  can  depend  upon  my  being 
there.  I  would  really  like  to  meet  him  again.  But 
wonder  what  the  case  is  about."  Sitting  down  he  again 
sank  into  deep  thought,  and  in  a  few  minutes  awoke 
from  this  reverie  as  if  startled. 

"  What  date  is  this  ?  "  he  said  to  himself.  "  Well,  if  I 
haven't  got  to  get  out  of  this  early  next  week,  or  I'll  be 
apt  to  be  a  little  late  in  meeting  Lawyer  Burgess  down 
in  Los  Angeles,"  he  continued. 

He  at  once  commenced  to  plan  about  the  operation 


THE    "BLUEBERRY"     MINE.  271 

of  the  mine  during  his  absence,  and  gave  an  occasional 
thought  about  what  a  change  there  would  be  in  his  ap 
pearance  when  he  reached  the  city  and  procured  some 
new  clothes. 

One  day  as  he  saddled  his  mule  he  gave  a  last  word 
of  instruction  to  his  petrified  foreman  and  started  for 
Boise  City  to  take  the  train.  As  he  rode  his  mule  along 
the  deep  mountain  side  his  thoughts  ran  to  sentimental 
affairs,  and  after  a  time  he  said,  "  The  spell  is  broken. 
Some  urgent  matter  like  Burgess'  letter  was  needed  to 
stir  me  from  these  diggings.  Now  that  I  have  taken  a 
vacation  I  guess  I'll  continue  my  course,  and  when  the 
trial  is  over  go  to  Maine  and  see  if  Mancly  ever  married." 

When  he  left  Blueberry  Falls,  nearly  eight  years  pre 
viously,  his  departure  was  prompted  by  a  telegraphic  dis 
patch  to  him  that  his  mother  was  ill.  He  and  Mandy 
Garland  had  spent  the  evening  at  the  home  of  Deacon 
Squirm,  and  the  message  was  not  delivered  to  him  until 
late  in  the  evening  when  he  returned  to  the  hotel  where 
he  made  his  home.  He  was  so  affected,  when  he  finished 
reading  the  telegram  at  the  news  which  it  contained,  that 
his  heart  throbbed  with  grief.  He  was  so  much  dis 
tressed  in  mind,  thinking  of  the  uncertain  condition  of 
his  mother,  that  he  immediately  harnessed  his  horse,  and 
started  for  Bangor  to  make  connection  with  the  Pullman 
train  for  Boston.  By  the  time  his  horse  was  harnessed 
the  clerk  at  the  hotel  had  retired  and  there  was  nobody 
around ;  even  if  there  had  been,  Ike  was  so  worried 
about  his  mother's  condition  that  he  would  probably 
have  gone  without  saying  anything  about  when  or  where 
he  was  going. 


272  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

His  mother  lingered  for  several  months  and  he  re 
mained  by  her  side  to  the  end.  In  the  course  of  several 
weeks  after  he  reached  his  old  home,  it  was  evident  that 
there  were  no  signs  of  her  immediate  recovery,  so  he 
wrote  to  the  stable  keeper  in  Bangor,  where  he  had  left 
his  horse,  to  dispose  of  the  team  and  send  him  the  pro 
ceeds  of  the  sale.  Then  when  the  saddest  event  of  his 
life  had  taken  place  and  the  burial  was  over,  lie  again 
began  to  think  of  his  own  affairs  and  was  preparing  to 
return  to  Maine.  "  Sorrow  comes  in  battalions,  never 
alone."  On  the  eve  of  his  intended  departure  for  his 
adopted  home  in  the  Pine  Tree  State,  a  telegram  was 
received  by  him  from  his  brother  Hiram,  who  was  then 
in  the  West.  It  simply  read,  "  Having  trouble,  come 
if  possible  and  help  me  "  ;  but  the  import  of  such  a 
communication  from  a  brother  caused  anxiety  and  con 
jecture  as  to  the  nature  of  the  misfortune.  He  imme 
diately  started  without  further  warning,  and  in  due 
time  reached  Boise  City.  There  he  joined  Hiram,  who 
informed  him  about  a  mining  claim  in  Dismal  Hollow 
owned  by  him,  which  had  been  jumped  by  some  pro 
spectors  while  he  was  away  to  procure  gear  and  supplies 
to  open  a  shaft,  and  that  there  was  to  be  a  contest  before 
the  territorial  court  in  regard  to  the  title  of  the  claim. 
Hiram  was  of  the  temperament  that  is  easily  annoyed 
and  had  sent  for  his  brother,  who  was  composed  of  the 
qualities  of  pluck  and  determination,  to  stand  by  him 
in  the  controversy  about  the  ownership  of  the  property 
he  had  staked  out. 

Ike  went  about  the  matter  with  his  usual  adroitness, 
and  finally  secured  a  compromise  for  a  small  considera- 


THE    "BLUEBERRY1'    MINE.  273 

tion,  and  with  Hiram  took  possession  of  the  claim.  The 
ore  from  the  excavations  seemed  to  give  promise  of 
value,  and  Ike  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother 
and  began  active  work  on  the  vein. 

The  location  was  in  a  very  lonely  place,  where  they 
seldom  had  any  communication  with  the  outside  world ; 
the  lode  had  been  dipped  to  the  east  and  lost ;  Hirarn 
became  discouraged,  and  resolved  to  return  to  New 
England  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  medicine, 
a  notion  he  had  cherished  since  his  boyhood.  Ike,  with 
his  usual  steadfastness,  bought  Hiram's  interest  in  the 
claim,  and  with  great  firmness  of  mind  continued  to 
work  the  shaft  with  renewed  vigor.  He  pushed  the 
labors  with  untiring  energy  and  pluck,  and  in  a  short 
time  found  the  lode  again,  where  he  uncovered  a  bed  of 
the  richest  ore  to  be  found  in  the  West.  This  great 
discovery  had  a  tendency  to  concentrate  his  entire  at 
tention  and  effort  to  the  operation  and  development  of 
the  mine,  to  such  an  extent  that  for  the  time  being  he 
almost  forgot  about  his  affairs  in  the  East. 

So  closely  had  he  clung  to  the  interests  of  his  venture 
that  in  all  that  period  he  did  not  permit  his  inclination 
to  meditate  on  leaving  Dismal  Hollow,  except  for  brief 
visits  to  Boise  City  to  procure  the  supplies  with  which 
to  carry  on  his  rich  and  profitable  enterprise.  There  he 
was  so  preoccupied  in  acquiring  wealth  that  it  required 
something  like  the  pressing  and  quite  mysterious  letter 
from  Lawyer  Burgess  to  urge  him  to  break  the  spell 
of  his  lonely  life  in  Dismal  Hollow,  and  visit  scenes 
more  congenial  to  a  person  of  his  happy  disposition. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE    WIGGIN    ESTATE. 

It  was  evening  when  Ike  reached  Los  Angeles.  He 
found  Lawyer  Burgess  at  the  most  fashionable  hotel  in 
the  city,  anxiously  waiting  for  him,  and  received  a  very 
cordial  greeting  from  the  gentleman  who  was  so  much 
interested  in  his  presence  there  at  that  particular  period. 

"  Glidden,  I'm  glad.  Mighty,  yes,  Glidden, —  mighty 
glad  to  see  you.  I  searched  all  over  the  country  for  you, 
but — ha!  ha  !  — found  you  at  last,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Bur 
gess  in  great  joy. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me,  Mr.  Burgess  ?  "  inquired 
Ike. 

"  There's  to  be  a  trial  here  Monday,  and  I  want  you 
for  a  witness  to  verify  some  signatures,"  responded  the 
lawyer. 

"  What  signatures  ?  "  again  asked  Ike. 

"  You  know  this  Wiggin  estate  has  been  in  law  ever 
since  the  old  fellow  died,  and  that  is  nearly  twenty  years 
ago.  Almost  every  year  a  new  impostor  has  turned  up 
claiming  to  be  an  heir  of  Wiggins,  and  I've  had  a  great 
struggle  fighting  them  off.  But  finally  I  learned  that 
the  legal  heir  of  the  estate  was  a  young  lady  up  in 
Maine,  and  I  sent  Marks  up  there  and  bought  her  out. 
The  remainder  of  the  facts  you  already  know,  so  it  is  to 
prove  that  transaction  I  want  you  here,"  answered  Bur 
gess.  274 


THE   WIGGIN  ESTATE.  275 

"  What  transaction  ?  tell  me  something  about  it ;  I  do 
not  seem  to  comprehend  the  case,"  said  Ike,  somewhat 
nonplussed  at  the  vague  details  unfolded. 

"  The  deal  that  was  made  the  time  that  Marks  was  up 
there  and  staid  with  you.  We  knew  that  you  were  lo 
cated  in  the  vicinity  of  that  girl's  home,  and  I  suggested 
that  he  could  probably  get  you  to  assist  him  in  finding 
the  girl  and  no  doubt  aid  in  carrying  out  the  negotia 
tions.  And  you  witnessed  the  deed,  you  remember,  and 
I  want  you  to  testify  as  to  the  genuineness  of  her  signa 
ture  and  to  also  verify  your  own  signature  upon  the 
deed,"  said  Burgess. 

"  Why,  I  never  saw  Marks  when  he  was  in  Maine," 
returned  Ike. 

"  Oh,  you  must  have  seen  him,  as  your  name  is  on  the 
document  as  a  witness."  » 

"  It  cannot  be  possible  that  my  name  appears  upon  the 
document,  because  I  have  no  recollection  of  a  transaction 
of  that  nature,  and  I'm  sure  I  haven't  seen  Marks  since 
I  saw  him  in  your  office  while  I  was  collecting  rents  for 
you,"  positively  said  Ike. 

"  This  is  a  most  singular  affair,"  broke  out  Burgess  in 
surprise.  "  Can't  you  verify  that  transaction  by  your 
testimony  ?  Can't  you  help  me  ?  I  need  a  witness,  and 
was  cock-sure  that  you  were  just  the  man  arid  the  only 
witness  I  required  to  sustain  my  title  to  this  property." 

"  I  would  be  glad  to  help  you  in  any  honorable  way, 
but  will  not  swear  to  the  truth  of  a  matter  of  which  1 
know  nothing.  Where  is  Marks,  and  where  is  the 
deed  ?  "  said  Ike. 

Reaching  into  his  valise  for  the  deed  Burgess  blurted 


276  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

out  in  irritated  accents,  "  Marks  !  the  scamp  disappeared 
only  a  few  weeks  after  he  got  this  deed  for  me,  and  I 
haven't  been  able  to  locate  him  since  he  skipped  out." 

Ike  looked  at  the  signature  of  the  witness  upon  the 
paper  purporting  to  be  a  deed  and  exclaimed,  "  This  is 
a  forgery  !  "  Then  he  observed  the  date.  "  The  date 
is  more  than  two  months  later  than  I  have  been  in 
Maine/'  And  when  he  saw  the  name  of  the  grantor, 
Amanda  Garland,  his  eyes  emitted  balls  of  fire,  and  his 
voice  muttered,  "  Mandy  Garland  !  Mandy  Garland !  I 
tell  you,  Mr.  Burgess,  this  is  a  bogus  document.  This 
is  not  my  signature,  and  that  is  not  the  signature  of 
Amanda  Garland." 

"  My  God  !  "  exclaimed  Burgess,  "  and  are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure.  I  am  familiar  with  that  girl's  hand 
writing,  and  it  is  not  her  signature,"  returned  Ike. 

"  This  is  a  horrible  blow,"  said  Bui-gess,  with  a  cold 
chill  creeping  over  him.  "  It's  appalling.  It  means  a 
loss  of  more  than  a  million  dollars.  I  am  ruined,"  he 
cried  in  confusion. 

"  How  much  did  Marks  tell  you  that  he  paid  the 
young  lady  for  her  interest?  "  asked  Ike. 

"  I  gave  him  five  thousand  dollars,  and  told  him  that 
if  he  could  not  secure  her  interest  for  that  amount  to 
draw  on  me  for  an  additional  sum  not  to  exceed  ter 
thousand  dollars,"  answered  Burgess. 

"  How  much  did  he  represent  to  you  that  he  was 
obliged  to  pay  her  ?  "  again  asked  Ike. 

"  Oh,  ho,  he  was  gone  about  a  week,  and  returned 
with  the  deed,  and  told  me  that  you  and  he  persuaded 
the  giri  and  her  mother  to  sell  out  for  the  five  thousand 
dollars  I  gave  him,"  answered  Burgess. 


THE    WIGGIN  ESTATE.  277 

"  Well,  you  see  he  never  even  went  to  Blueberry  Falls, 
or  lie  never  should  have  used  my  name  as  a  witness.  I 
was  not  there  on  the  date  of  that  deed.  He  deceived 
you,  and  embezzled  the  money  you  gave  him,"  said  Ike. 

"  Confound  the  thief  !  He  is  the  cause  of  my  ruin. 
Yes,  that  is  why  he  stepped  out  when  he  did,"  said  Bur 
gess,  the  flutter  of  his  heart  causing  him  to  breathe  with 
apparent  distress. 

"  Is  Miss  Garland  to  be  here  at  the  trial  Monday  ?  " 
interestedly  asked  Ike. 

"  Yes,  she  and  her  mother  are  here,  and  have  been 
here  for  some  months,  preparing  the  case  against  me." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  they  are  here  now  ?  Where  are 
they  located  ?  " 

"  They  are  boarding  at  the  house  directly  across  the 
street.  Are  you  acquainted  with  them  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  I'm  well  acquainted  with  them,"  answered 
Ike  in  a  quiet  tone. 

"  Well,  then,  Glidden,  perhaps  it  is  not  so  bad  after 
all.  Through  your  acquaintance  with  those  people  you 
may  be  just  the  chap  I  need.  Perhaps  you  may  be  able 
to  bring  us  together,  so  that  I  can  buy  out  her  interest. 
I'll  pay  her  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  if  she  will 
sign  clear,  and  I'll  give  you  ten  thousand  dollars  if  the 
deal  goes  through,"  said  Burgess  in  his  usually  shrewd 
manner,  and  brightening  up  with  this  new  idea. 

"  No,  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Burgess ;  I  would  do  anything 
that  is  right  for  you,  but  I  love  that  girl  and  cannot 
consent  to  be  a  party  to  such  a  transaction." 

"What !  you  in  love  with  that  girl?  " 

"  Yes,  and  I'll  see  that  Mandy  Garland  gets  what  be- 


278  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

longs  to  her  out  of  that  estate,  if  it  is  in  my  power  to 
do  anything  to  assist  in  establishing  her  rights,"  said 
Ike,  as  he  bade  Burgess  "  good  night "  and  left  the 
room. 

It  was  then  nearly  ten  o'clock.  He  loitered  on  the  ve 
randa,  wondering  in  which  of  the  houses  across  the 
street  Mandy  made  her  home.  Finally  he  heard  in  the 
house  directly  opposite  singing  in  a  high  soprano  voice. 
He  could  not  content  himself  to  remain  there  quietly, 
but  arose  and  walked  in  the  glimmer  of  the  electric 
light  part  way  across  the  street,  and  there  listened  again 
to  satisfy  himself  that  his  ears  were  true  to  the  recol 
lection  of  the  sounds  of  her  voice.  "  Can  it  be  Mandy?  " 
he  said  to  himself.  "  Yes,  it  surely  is  her  voice." 

The  mere  sound  of  her  voice  had  unmanned  him. 
His  first  impulse  was  to  call  and  see  her,  but  on  second 
thought  he  wondered  if  she  would  care  to  see  him.  So 
he  hesitated.  He  had  been  away  from  the  scenes  of 
civilization  so  long  that  he  felt  somewhat  timid  about 
entering  into  the  social  circle  of  a  city  home,  particu 
larly  if  there  were  others  present  beside  her  and  her 
mother.  He  finally  decided  to  call  the  next  day. 

Although  tired  after  the  long  train  ride  from  Boise 
City,  he  did  not  go  to  his  room  until  the  last  flicker  of 
light  in  the  parlor  of  the  house  across  the  street  had 
disappeared.  When  he  did  retire  there  seemed  to  be 
no  rest  for  him,  for  he  rolled  and  tossed  in  a  delirium 
of  unrest.  He  dreamed  and  woke,  and  dreamed  and 
woke  again  that  night,  and  whether  waking  or  sleeping 
he  imagined  that  he  could  hear  the  voice  of  Mandy  Gar 
land,  until  softly  from  the  rosy  east  came  the  king  of 


THE    WIGGIN   ESTATE.  279 

day  shedding  his  light  and  sunshine.  He  earnestly 
wished  to  see  the  face  of  the  one  whose  very  voice  could 
so  affect  him. 

Sunday  afternoon  when  he  did  call  something  of  her 
old  timidity  returned,  and  she  was  at  first  inclined  to 
evade  meeting  him ;  but  when  she  ventured  at  length 
to  lift  her  eyes  to  the  face  of  the  tall  fine-looking  man 
before  her,  a  thrill  of  joy  and  pride  ran  through  her 
heart,  and  extending  her  hand  she  said,  "  Mr.  Glidden, 
why  it's  you,  isn't  it  ?  I'm  really  glad  to  see  you.  How 
long  have  you  been  in  the  city?  " 

"  I  arrived  last  evening,"  responded  Ike,  and  the 
pleasure  of  the  meeting  seemed  to  be  unbounded. 

"  When  did  you  leave  home  ?  "  inquired  Ike. 

"Oh,  we  have  been  living  here  nearly  eight  years." 

"  Then  you  must  have  left  there  soon  after  my  de 
parture." 

"  Yes,  within  a  few  weeks  I  think." 

"  I  presume  you  hear  from  home  frequently." 

"  Oh,  yes  indeed.  We  receive  letters  and  papers 
quite  regularly." 

"  How  is  my  old  friend  your  uncle,  Deacon  Squirm  ?  " 

"  Oh,  his  health  is  quite  good,  but  you  know  the  shock 
of  the  robbery  somewhat  affected  his  nerves  for  a  time, 
but  he  got  over  it,  so  I  think  his  health  is  fairly  good." 

"  What  robbery  ?  " 

"  Why,  haven't  you  ever  heard  about  the  time  his 
safe  was  broken  open  and  robbed  ?  " 

"  No,  I've  not  heard  a  word  from  Blueberry  Falls  for 
nearly  eight  years.  And  Deacon  Squirm  was  robbed. 
When  ?  tell  me  about  it." 


280  IRE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

"  The  burglar  that  blew  open  the  safe  was  a  man  who 
had  been  boarding  with  uncle,  and  who  was  afterwards 
arrested  in  Boston." 

"  When  did  that  happen  ?  " 

"  It  was  the  same  night  that  you  and  I  were  there  to 
tea." 

"  Why,  then,  that  must  have  been  the  night  I  left 
there." 

"Yes,  it  was  that  same  night,  but  —  but  —  they  got 
the  man  that  did  it,  and  all  the  stolen  things  were  after 
ward  restored  to  uncle." 

"That  same  night?"  said  Ike,  perfectly  amazed. 

"  Yes,  and  it  was  that  pious-appearing  man  that  had 
been  boarding  with  uncle  during  the  summer,"  said 
Mandy. 

"  How  seemingly  strange  !  and  it  was  he  who  robbed 
your  uncle !  How  long  after  the  robbery  did  they  ar 
rest  him  ?  "  inquired  Ike. 

"  Oh,  he  was  arrested  within  two  or  three  days  after 
that,  and  they  telegraphed  to  uncle." 

"  Well,  let  me  tell  you  something.  When  I  was  in 
Providence  that  man  used  to  come  to  the  office  where  I 
worked  to  see  a  young  lawyer,  and  his  ministerial  air 
attracted  my  attention.  One  day  I  took  the  liberty  to 
inquire  about  the  distinguished-looking  client,  and  was 
told  that  he  was  a  member  of  a  gang  of  crooks.  And  do 
you  know  when  I  saw  the  men  who  were  boarding  at  your 
uncle's  I  felt  quite  sure  that  one  of  them  was  that  same 
fellow,  and  was  somewhat  distrustful  of  him?  As  I 
was  not  sure,  I  said  nothing  about  it,  but  made  up  my 
mind  to  study  him  more  closely,  and  after  that  every 


THE   WIGGIN  ESTATE.  281 

time  I  called  there  the  boarders  were  out  strolling 
through  the  fields,  and  I  didn't  see  them  again.  They 
probably  knew  I  was  a  lawyer  and  were  avoiding  me. 
Anyhow  I  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  the  man  the 
time  I  did  see  him  at  Deacon  Squirm's,"  said  Ike. 

"  You  are  a  pretty  good  judge  of  men  after  all," 
said  Mrs.  Garland. 

"  It  seems  so,  or  at  least  I  was  in  that  case." 

Then  Ike  related  the  cause  of  his  sudden  departure 
from  Blueberry  Falls,  told  them  about  meeting  the  pious 
man  on  the  train,  and  described  the  circumstances  of 
the  hurried  arrest  in  Boston. 

While  Ike  was  harnessing  his  horse  on  the  night  he 
left  Blueberry  Falls,  he  heard  the  sound  of  an  explosion 
in  the  direction  of  Squirmtown,  and  at  first  wondered 
what  it  could  be,  but  the  sorrowful  words  of  the  tele 
gram  absorbed  his  mind  so  much  that  he  gave  no  further 
thought  to  the  unusual  noise.  When  he  had  driven  a 
short  distance  on  the  road  he  heard  a  horse  and  carriage 
coming  behind  him.  Soon  it  dashed  by  him  at  break 
neck  speed.  He  wondered  at  such  wild  driving,  and 
tried  to  overtake  the  horse  and  carriage,  but  this  being 
impossible  he  gave  up  the  chase. 

The  next  morning  at  Bangor  the  pious  gentleman 
whom  he  had  seen  at  Deacon  Squirm's  got  on  board  the 
train.  His  clothes  were  covered  with  mud  that  had 
evidently  spattered  from  carriage  wheels  while  driving 
on  a  country  road,  and  he  carried  a  large  satchel.  At 
that  time  he  did  not  look  like  a  man  in  delicate  health, 
as  he  apparently  had  lost  all  the  pallor  of  an  invalid. 
While  on  the  train  he  acted  strangely ;  in  fact  his  con- 


282  IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

duct  was  so  peculiar  that  Ike  could  not  help  giving  his 
whole  attention  to  studying  him. 

Ike  finally  became  satisfied  that  he  was  the  identical 
crook  that  he  had  seen  in  Providence,  and  that  un 
doubtedly  he  had  been  up  in  Maine  on  a  pilfering  trip. 
About  that  time  there  had  been  a  series  of  burglaries 
committed  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  and  Ike  con 
cluded  that  he  was  one  of  the  gang  that  was  then  oper 
ating  in  the  State.  When  the  train  reached  Boston  Ike 
was  so  interested  in  learning  about  the  schedule  of  the 
Vermont  trains  that  he  lost  sight  of  the  man. 

But  to  his  surprise  and  astonishment  Ike  saw  the 
same  man  attempt  to  board  his  train  when  it  was 
just  about  to  start  for  Vermont  and  Canada,  and  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment  called  a  policeman  and  charged  the 
man  with  being  a  burglar,  and  told  the  officer  that  he 
was  wanted  in  Maine. 

The  train  hauled  out  while  the  officer  was  taking  him 
into  custody,  and  Ike  never  learned  what  they  did  with 
the  man,  but  many  times  afterwards  his  conscience 
troubled  him  for  having  caused  the  arrest  of  a  man  who 
perhaps  was  innocent  of  having  done  wrong  to  any  per 
son.  Although  Ike  characterized  the  man  as  a  robber, 
he  never  for  a  moment  surmised  that  it  was  the  same 
person  who  drove  by  him  at  such  fearful  speed  on  the 
night  previous.  When  Ike  reached  home  his  mother's 
condition  of  health  was  such  that  he  gave  every  atten 
tion  to  her,  and  for  some  weeks  had  scarcely  even  looked 
upon  a  newspaper. 

"  So  it  was  you  who  caused  the  arrest  of  the  robber. 
They  said  that  the  man  who  gave  the  policeman  the 


THE    WIGGIN   ESTATE 

information  went  away  on  the  train,  and  they  never 
could  find  out  who  it  was,"  said  Mandy. 

Ike  related  the  circumstances  regarding  his  sudden 
departure  from  Blueberry  Falls,  and  told  them  about 
his  experiences  in  the  mining  region  of  Dismal  Hollow. 
When  the  clock  struck  six  Ike  arose  and  suggested  that 
he  must  return  to  his  hotel  and  see  if  there  was  any 
letter  or  telegram  for  him,  but  he  was  not  permitted  to 
leave  until  he  promised  to  return  and  spend  the  evening 
with  them. 

During  this  time  not  one  word  was  spoken  by  either 
in  relation  to  the  Wiggin  case. 

When  Ike  returned  in  the  evening  he  said  to  Mandy 
very  abruptly,  "  On  what  date  did  you  leave  home  ? 
I've  been  thinking  about  something  since  I  was  here 
this  afternoon." 

"  Oh,  it  was  shortly  after  you  went  away.  The  exact 
date  I  cannot  recall  at  the  moment,  but  mother  remem 
bers." 

"  Yes,  I  am  quite  sure  it  was  on  the  tenth  day  of  Oc 
tober.  Why  do  you  ask?"  said  Mrs.  Garland. 

"And  haven't  you  been  home  since  that  date?"  he 
continued. 

"  No,  we  came  directly  to  California,  and  have  been 
in  this  immediate  vicinity  ever  since,"  responded  the 
mother. 

"  That's  a  most  singular  case  of  attempted  rascality. 
Why,  the  deed  is  dated  November  6th,  and  that  was 
nearly  four  weeks  after  you  were  away  from  there,"  said 
Ike  as  if  he  were  speaking  without  regard  to  the  person 
he  was  addressing.  His  mind  was  dwelling  upon  the 
extreme  villainy  of  Marks. 


284  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"  What  deed  ?  To  what  do  you  refer  please,  Mr. 
Glidden  ?  tell  me  about  it ;  I  do  not  understand  you," 
said  Mandy,  wondering  about  his  strange  allusion  to  a 
deed. 

"  I  mean  the  deed  Lawyer  Burgess  has,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Do  you  know  Lawyer  Burgess?  "  nervously  inquired 
Mrs.  Garland. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  I  am  well  acquainted  with  him.  It 
was  while  employed  at  his  office  in  Providence  that  I 
acquired  the  knowledge  of  law  I  had  when  I  opened  an 
office  in  Blueberry  Falls.  But  then,  all  I  knew  about 
the  science  of  law  at  that  time  was  not  much  of  a  bur 
den  to  me,"  responded  Ike,  as  he  laughed  at  the  thought 
of  his  first  adventure  in  the  practice  of  law. 

"  And  are  you  acquainted  with  Lawyer  Burgess,  the 
millionaire,  that  we  have  been  contending  with  in  court 
all  these  years ?  But  what  did  you  say  about  a  deed ? 
please  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  us  about  it,  Mr.  Glidden, 
won't  you?"  said  Mrs.  Garland  in  a  flutter  of  uneasi 
ness. 

"  I  mean  the  deed  by  which  Henry  Burgess  claims  to 
hold  title  to  the  Wiggin  estate,"  said  Ike,  and  looking 
at  Mandy  he  continued,  "  He  has  a  document  purport 
ing  to  be  a  conveyance  from  you  to  him  of  all  your  in 
terests  in  that  estate." 

"  Heavens!  Mercy !  What  villainy!  "  shrieked  the  girl. 

"  I  know  it  is  a  fraudulent  document.  It  is  dated 
Blueberry  Falls,  November  6th,  signed  by  you  and  wit 
nessed  by  me  ;  nine  weeks  after  I  left  Maine,  and  nearly 
four  weeks  later  than  you  had  been  there.  I  have  seen 
the  deed  and  know  it  is  a  fraud.  My  name  upon  it  as  a 


THE   WIGGLN   ESTATE.  285 

witness  is  a  forgery,  and  I  know  that  your  name  was 
placed  upon  it  by  that  knave  he  sent  to  Maine  to  pur 
chase  your  interests,"  said  Ike. 

"  Of  course  it  is  a  fraud.  Yes,  a  bogus  document," 
declared  Mandy  in  a  spirit  of  defiance.  "  That  is  the 
case  upon  which  he  is  depending  to  keep  me  out  of  my 
property,  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  have  told  him  that  it  is  a  case  of  forgery, 
and  that  he  could  not  depend  on  me  for  a  witness.  Yes, 
and  I  —  yes,  I  also  told  him  that  my  sympathies  were 
with  you  in  the  case,  and  hoped  I  might  be  instrumental 
in  assisting  you  to  brand  his  title  with  fraud." 

"  How  kind  you  were  to  do  that !  We  fully  appreci 
ate  your  interest  in  our  behalf,  and  shall  always  remem 
ber  your  kindness,"  said  the  mother. 

"  He  has  always  pretended  that  he  had  a  deed  from 
the  legal  heir,  but  I  never  understood  that  it  was  a  deed 
from  me  which  he  claimed  to  hold,"  said  Mandy. 

"  Yes,  it  is  evidently  a  deed  from  you  he  has  had  for 
a  basis  of  title,  but  I  think  his  hopes  are  now  pretty  well 
shattered,"  said  Ike. 

"  And  you  are  the  important  witness  he  has  been  try 
ing  to  locate  during  all  this  delay.  Every  time  our 
lawyer  pressed  the  case  for  a  trial  Burgess  has  secured  a 
continuance  on  the  ground  of  inability  to  have  his  wit 
ness  present.  He  was  always  successful  in  securing  a 
delay,  on  account  of  the  positive  manner  in  which  he 
gave  assurance  to  the  judge  that  at  the  next  term  he  cer 
tainly  would  be  able  to  produce  the  witness  required  to 
verify  his  title,"  said  Mrs.  Garland. 

"  Strange,  how  strange,  this  seems.     Why,  Ike,  while 


286  IKE    GLIDDEN   IN    MAINE. 

I  thought  of  you  many  times  since  we  left  home,  1 
never  dreamed  that  you  would  be  the  person  to  assist 
us  in  our  case.  I  did  not  suppose  that  you  had  ever 
heard  of  the  Wiggin  estate,"  said  Mandy. 

"  Ho,  I  knew  about  the  Wiggin  estate  long  before  my 
residence  at  Blueberry  Falls ;  but  really,  Mandy,  I 
never  had  the  least  idea  that  you  were  in  any  way  in 
terested  in  that  estate,"  said  Ike. 

"  You  knew  about  the  Wiggin  estate  when  you  lived 
at  Blueberry  Falls  ?  "  asked  Mandy,  a  little  curious. 

"  Yes,  it  is  strange  that  you  never  said  anything  to 
me  about  being  an  heir  to  the  estate,  because  no  doubt 
even  at  that  time  I  could  have  assisted  you,"  said  Ike. 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you.  At  one  time,  some  years  before 
we  met  you,  we  had  great  hopes  of  receiving  a  large 
legacy.  Then  there  was  a  rumor  that  the  estate  was 
only  a  myth,  and  our  hopes  were  blighted.  In  fact  we 
were  rather  ashamed  to  say  anything  about  our  dream 
of  riches,  even  to  our  relatives,  for  fear  of  being  sub 
jected  to  laughter  and  ridicule.  Some  did  make  a  good 
deal  of  fun  at  one  time,  so  we  simply  said  nothing  about 
it  to  anybody,  because  we  were  in  doubt  ourselves. 
When  the  letter  did  come  we  got  ready  and  came  here, 
without  informing  the  people  there  of  the  object  of  our 
trip,"  said  Mrs.  Garland. 

"  How  extremely  fortunate  it  is  that  you  should  hap 
pen  here,  at  a  time  when  we  need  some  one  who  is  in 
terested  in  us  besides  our  lawyer,"  said  Mandy. 

Then  Ike  showed  them  the  letter  he  received  from 
Lawyer  Burgess,  as  an  explanation  for  his  presence  at 
that  particular  time,  and  also  related  the  conversation 


THE    WIGGIN   ESTATE.  287 

which  took  place  with  Lawyer  Burgess,  when  the  deed 
was  discovered  to  be  a  bogus  document. 

The  experience  of  Mrs.  Garland  and  her  daughter 
during  their  residence  in  that  city  had  been  a  bitter 
one.  They  had  been  there  nearly  eight  years,  endeav 
oring  to  establish  the  heirship  of  Mandy  to  the  property 
left  by  Jonathan  Wiggin.  The  case  had  been  carried 
from  one  court  to  another  on  appeal,  and  then  continued 
from  term  to  term,  on  account  of  the  absence  of  an  im 
portant  witness,  until  the  patience  and  endurance  of 
mother  and  daughter  were  almost  exhausted.  Many 
times  during  that  period  they  had  been  deficient  of  the 
means  necessary  to  pay  their  board  and  expenses,  and 
were  obliged  to  seek  employment,  that  they  might  earn 
money  with  which  to  carry  on  the  litigation  then  pend 
ing.  Even  at  that  date  they  were  compelled  to  live  in 
a  very  frugal  way ;  but  the  information  they  gained 
from  Ike  gave  them  every  assurance  of  a  satisfactory 
settlement  of  the  case  at  an  early  date.  The  remainder 
of  their  stay  at  Los  Angeles  was  made  pleasant  by  the 
faithful  attention  given  them  by  Ike,  and  many  happy 
hours  were  spent  in  drives  and  pleasure  trips  about  the 
city,  and  in  reminiscences  of  the  blueberry  district. 

The  trial  lacked  the  excitement  that  had  been  antici 
pated,  for  Lawyer  Burgess  staked  his  whole  position  on 
the  possibility  of  securing  another  delay  of  the  proceed 
ings.  His  attorney,  in  support  of  the  motion  for  another 
continuance,  accused  "  Glidden,  the  witness  to  the  deed," 
of  having  entered  into  a  conspiracy  with  the  grantor  to 
defraud  Mr.  Burgess,  and  placed  great  stress  on  the  fact 
that  "  Glidden  has  openly  admitted  that  he  is  in  love 


IKE  GLIDDEN  IN  MAINE. 

with  that  girl."  But  argument,  falsehood  and  forgery 
evidently  had  no  more  standing  in  that  court,  for  the 
judge  refused  to  grant  a  further  continuance  and  ordered 
the  case  set  for  trial  on  the  following  Thursday. 

Burgess  failed  to  appear  at  the  time  appointed  for  a 
trial,  and  a  default  was  entered  against  him,  rendering 
a  judgment  in  favor  of  Amanda  Garland  as  the  legal 
heir  of  Jonathan  Wiggin. 

Mrs.  Garland  and  daughter  immediately  returned  to 
Maine,  and  entrusted  to  Ike  the  business  of  securing 
from  the  court  officials  the  necessary  papers  for  the  pur 
pose  of  obtaining  possession  of  the  estate  and  procuring 
formal  delivery  of  the  property. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"  ALL    ABOAKD." 

EARLY  in  June  Widow  Garland  and  her  daughter 
arrived  at  Pineville,  Maine,  and  reopened  their 
home,  which  had  been  closed  during  their  stay  in  Cali 
fornia.  Everything  about  the  house  indicated  neglect 
and  decay;  the  shingles  were  old,  the  gutters  were 
covered  with  moss,  and  the  general  appearance  was  that 
of  a  place  abandoned.  However  much  in  need  of  re 
pair,  to  them  the  sentiment  of  reaching  their  old  home 
again  gave  solace  and  relief  even  in  the  thoughts  of 
being  able  to  spend  the  time  in  rest  and  freedom  from 
the  cares  of  litigation. 

They  had  won  the  case  against "  Millionaire  Burgess," 
and  were  now  waiting  for  the  Wiggiii  estate  to  be  for 
mally  delivered  to  the  care  and  management  of  their 
lawyer.  Ike  remained  to  assist  their  attorney  in  the 
details  of  the  matter. 

Notwithstanding  they  had  been  successful  in  their 
litigation  that  had  been  carried  through  so  many  years 
and  caused  them  so  much  worry  and  anxiety,  not  one 
word  of  mention  had  been  made  of  the  case  to  any  of 
their  friends  or  neighbors. 

One  day  shortly  after  the  arrival  a  tall,  broad-shoul 
dered  man,  with  sombrero  hat,  left  the  train  at  Blueberry 
Falls,  and  rode  on  the  bus  to  the  hotel.  Some  years 

289 


290  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

had  passed  since  his  last  visit  there,  and  with  that  lapse 
of  time  some  few  changes  had  come  to  the  village.  A 
new  landlord  had  taken  possession  of  the  hotel,  and  even 
the  driver  of  the  bus  and  the  man  behind  the  counter 
were  people  that  the  new  arrival  had  never  seen  before, 
yet  he  found  much  that  was  familiar  in  place  and 
people. 

While  he  was  entering  the  name  "  Isaac  Glidden, 
Boise  City,  Idaho,"  in  the  hotel  register,  the  clerk  ad 
dressing  a  drummer  said,  "  The  French  doctor  made  more 
than  a  hundred  dollars  yesterday.  That  fellow  could 
make  a  barrel  of  money  here,  just  as  soon  as  folks  find 
out  that  he  cured  Ame  Blibbers,  if  he'd  only  stay,  but 
he's  settled  his  bill  and  is  going  away  on  the  next 
train." 

"  Yes,  that  was  a  wonderful  cure,"  said  the  drummer. 

"  He's  a  star  I  tell  you ;  he's  better'n  any  o'  those  In 
dian  doctors  that's  been  here  for  a  long  time, "continued 
the  clerk. 

"  The  old  fellow  has  been  all  doubled  up  with  rheu 
matism,  hasn't  he  ?  "  inquired  the  drummer. 

"  Yes,  and  he's  tried  all  the  doctors  round  here,  and 
none  of  'em  could  help  him  one  particle,"  responded  the 
clerk. 

"  So  I  have  been  informed,"  said  the  drummer. 

"  It's  wonderful.  He  just  sat  Ame  down  in  that  chair, 
rubbed  him  a  little  while  with  his  medicine,  then  told 
him  to  straighten  up  and  walk,  and  he  did  so.  Isn't 
that  astonishing?"  said  the  clerk. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  think  about  him  ?  "  said  the 
drummer.  "  That  doctor  is  a  hypnotist." 


"  ALL  ABOARD."  291 

"Oh,  no,  don't  you  b'lieve  it ;  he's  a  high-class  doctor, 
that's  what  he  is,"  returned  the  clerk. 

While  they  were  talking,  a  wagon,  with  an  old  woman 
driving,  stopped  in  front  of  the  hotel  to  inquire  of  the 
clerk  where  that  "  f urrin  doctor  "  was. 

"He's  in  the  parlor  treating  a  patient,  but  I'll  call 
him,  because  if  yer  want  ter  see  him  you'll  have  to  do 
so  before  the  next  train  goes  West,"  promptly  said  the 
clerk. 

"Well,  dad  is  out  in  the  wagon.  He's  been  all 
drawee!  up  with  the  rheumatiz,  and  mom  heard  last 
night  as  how  that  "  f  urrin  doctor"  straightened  up  Ame 
Blibbers,  and  this  mornin'  we  all  got  tergether  and  put 
dad  in  a  wagon  on  a  bed  of  straw,  and  I  tell  yer  he 
howled,  for  we  can't  move  him  without  hurting  him." 

The  clerk  called  the  doctor,  and  he  went  out  to  the 
wagon,  spoke  to  the  woman  and  looked  in  at  the  old 
man  lying  on  the  straw  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon, 
groaning. 

"  I  cannot  do  anything  for  you  to-day,"  said  the  doc 
tor.  "  I'm  going  away  on  the  next  train,  but  shall  be 
here  again  one  week  from  to-day  and  then  I  will  cure 
you,"  he  added,  and  re-entering  the  hotel,  he  began 
packing  his  valise,  preparatory  to  his  departure.  The 
old  man  groaned,  and  the  old  woman  burst  into  tears,  for 
her  hopes  had  been  raised  high  after  hearing  the  story 
about  the  Blibbers  case. 

Ike  looked  out  and  took  a  second  glance  at  the  old 
man  in  the  wagon,  who  was  doubled  up  and  shrieking 
with  rheumatic  pains,  and  said  to  himself,  "  There,  sir, 
if  that  ain't  Lickety  Billings  ;  old  fellow's  all  used  up 


292  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

with  rheumatism.    And  that's  his  wife  ;  guess  I'll  go  out 
and  speak  to  the  poor  old  chap/' 

As  Ike  was  going  out  he  met  a  man  on  crutches  com 
ing  in  at  the  door,  who  yelled  out,  "  Where's  that  furrin 
quack  doctor?  If  he  don't  give  me  back  the  ten  dollars 
he  charged  me  to  straighten  me  out,  I'll  knock  the  fur 
rin  language  out  o'  his  head  with  one  of  these  crutches. 
He's  a  fraud.  That's  what  he  is."  And  Ike,  instead  of 
going  out  to  speak  to  Lickety,  naturally  paused  to  learn 
the  cause  of  the  exciting  remarks  of  the  cripple,  and  then 
recognized  him  as  Ame  Blibbers. 

It  seemed  that  the  cure  that  the  doctor  made  was  not 
permanent;  during  the  night  the  effect  of  the  medicine 
wore  off,  and  Ame  suffered  untold  agony  and  misery 
until  morning.  He  was  evidently  in  a  more  hope 
less  condition  than  before  he  applied  to  the  strange  doc 
tor  for  relief,  and  was  then  coming  to  pronounce  the 
doctor  a  humbug,  and  to  demand  a  return  of  the  money 
paid  to  him  the  day  before.  The  doctor  was  in  the  act 
of  picking  up  his  valise  when  Ame  made  the  startling 
accusation  against  him,  and  said,  "  Mine  frint,  you  voz 
crazy." 

"  Crazy !  I'll  make  you  crazy,  if  I  strike  you  over 
ther  head  with  this  stick,"  and  just  as  Ame  in  a  rage  was 
about  to  strike  the  doctor,  Ike  stepped  in  between  them 
and  said  "  Ame,  don't  you  do  that ! "  and  holding  the 
crutch,  addressed  the  doctor.  "  This  is  a  poor  man ;  give 
him  back  his  money.  I've  known  him  ten  years  or  more  ; 
he's  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  am  going  to  see  that 
you  give  him  back  the  money  you  wrongfully  took  from 
him.  I  am  told  that  you  are  not  a  doctor,  but  that 


"ALL  ABOARD."  293 

you  use  evil  powers  which  you  possess,  to  extract  money 
from  the  pockets  of  the  extreme  poor  and  afflicted  peo 
ple.  I  demand  that  you  return  this  man's  money." 

The  doctor  handed  a  ten-dollar  note  to  Ame  and 
sneakingly  left  the  hotel  for  the  depot. 

Ame,  somewhat  bewildered,  was  puzzled  to  know  who 
this  strange  man  could  be,  who  said  he  was  a  friend  of 
his  and  had  known  him  for  ten  years.  "  Mister,  I'm  a 
thousand  times  obleeged  ter  yer,  fer  a-helpin'  me  ter  git 
my  money  back,  an'  I'll  never  forgit  yer.  What  may  I 
call  yer  name,  sir  ?  "  said  Ame. 

"  Ike  Glidden  is  my  name,  and  you  are  the  man  Ame 
that  introduced  me  to  the  most  beautiful  girl  that  I 
ever  saw,  and  I  don't  suppose  that  I  will  ever  forget 
you." 

"  Great  Scott !  so  this  is  Ike,  and  when  did  you  come? 
Mighty  glad  ter  see  yer,  Ike,"  as  he  heartily  shook  hands 
with  him.  "An'  that  was  ther  Widder  Gaiian's  dar'ter. 
She's  home  now,  an'  I'll  bet  yer  come  ter  see  her." 

It  was  but  a  short  time  until  the  news  spread  through 
out  the  village  of  the  return  of  Lawyer  Glidden.  Den 
nis  Bogan,  James  Hope  and  many  others  hurried  to  the 
hotel  to  honor  him  with  words  of  welcome.  In  fact, 
most  of  the  people  there  remembered  him,  and  regarded 
him  with  a  kind  of  surprised  curiosity.  His  return  was 
an  event  in  the  affairs  of  the  district.  Everybody  won 
dered  where  he  had  been,  and  what  he  had  been  doing, 
but,  most  of  all,  were  in  hopes  that  he  intended  to  re 
main  with  them.  He  was  received  by  all  with  the  same 
degree  of  perfect  kindness  and  cordiality.  Tf  any  of 
them  ever  did  cherish  hard  feelings  toward  him,  it  was 


294  IKE    GLIDDEN    IN   MAINE. 

only  for  a  time.  They  were  now  all  glad  to  see  him,  and 
each  showed  to  him  the  same  smile  of  welcome. 

The  cause  of  his  hurried  departure  from  them  and  his 
sudden  call  to  the  West  were  related,  and  they  were  all 
pleased  to  learn  that  he  had  been  successful.  The  ex 
citing  days  after  the  burglary  were  related  to  Ike,  and 
somebody  told  him  that  the  deacon  and  others  had  tried 
to  stigmatize  him  with  the  guilt  of  the  robbery,  until  the 
arrest  of  the  Christian  boarder.  Ike  was  amused,  but 
greatly  chagrined  when  he  heard  of  the  actrocious  cloud 
that  might  have  hung  on  his  reputation  in  the  eyes  of 
people  to  whom  he  had  ever  been  true  and  faithful. 
To  a  mind  inclined  to  take  a  cynical  view  of  human 
affairs,  a  hearty  welcome  when  in  the  sunlight  of  inno 
cence  from  the  person  who  had  denounced  him  in  time 
of  apparent  adversity  is  a  somewhat  bitter  experience. 
But  Ike  was  so  mild-tempered  and  broad-minded  that 
when  Deacon  Squirm  called  at  the  hotel  to  see  him,  Ike 
shook  his  hand  with  a  warmth  which  he  had  never  shown 
to  that  gentleman  before.  It  was  with  some  perplexity 
he  secured  his  release  from  the  people,  who  were  extend 
ing  to  him  their  expressions  of  respect,  that  he  might 
drive  to  the  Garlands'  homestead.  But,  with  his  usual 
courteous  manner,  he  got  into  a  carriage  and  drove  in 
the  direction  of  the  Borough  of  Pineville.  The  distance 
was  but  a  few  miles,  and  he  soon  came  within  view  of 
the  Garland  home  ;  many  were  his  associations  connected 
with  that  house,  for  it  was  to  him  a  sort  of  temple  of  old 
memories.  His  heart  swelled  with  happiness  at  even  a 
sight  of  the  surroundings  of  that  old  house. 

Mrs.  Garland  met  him  at  the  door,  and  ushered  him 


"ALL  ABOARD."  295 

into  the  parlor,  fragrant  with  flowers  and  cool  with  the 
afternoon  breeze  through  the  open  windows.  Mandy 
was  seated  at  the  piano,  and  never  was  her  appearance 
more  charming.  She  was  not  expecting  to  be  favored 
on  that  day  with  a  visit  from  the  man  of  whom  she  was 
thinking  so  deeply.  She  heard  the  entrance  of  some 
one,  but  presumed  that  it  was  merely  a  call  by  one  of 
the  near  neighbors.  When  she  looked  up  and  saw  Mr. 
Glidden  her  eyes  glistened  with  amazement,  then  she 
blushed,  and  trembled  with  a  little  embarrassment,  as 
she  extended  her  hand  and  said,  "  Why,  what  a  lovely 
surprise !  When  did  you  arrive  ?  Why  didn't  you 
write  and  tell  us  ?  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you ;  come  sit 
down  and  tell  all  about  yourself  since  we  parted  at  Los 
Angeles." 

The  next  day  Ike  wandered  about  town,  to  meet 
many  old  and  familiar  faces,  and  to  note  the  changes 
that  had  taken  place  during  his  absence.  Joe  Sampson 
had  leased  the  tavern,  and  with  his  family  moved  to  the 
Falls,  where  he  lived  at  ease  on  the  rent  of  his  property. 
Squire  Blunt  had  died,  and  a  younger  man  was  commis 
sioned  to  perform  the  official  duties  of  magistrate. 
James  Hope  had  become  a  prosperous  merchant,  and 
his  reputation  for  honesty  and  fair  dealings  extended 
throughout  the  country.  His  mother-in-law,  the  Widow 
Brown,  was  provided  with  a  pleasant  home  in  a  part  of 
his  beautiful  residence  on  the  hill ;  and  often  smiled, 
and  told  her  callers  of  the  day  when  Katy  and  her  hus 
band  came  home  in  tears  from  the  bottling  works,  and 
cried  because  they  had  both  been  discharged  for  some 
childish  pranks,  and  feared  that  hunger  stared  them  in 
the  face. 


296  IKE   GLIDDEN   IN   MAINE. 

"Mr."  Cronin,  as  the  people  had  been  accustomed  to 
prefix  their  remarks  when  addressing  the  most  success 
ful  man  in  that  section,  had  married  Becca  Blunt,  and 
they  were  occupying  the  squire's  old  homestead. 

Ike  was  greatly  interested  in  all  the  people  through 
out  the  district  whom  he  met,  and  manifested  sincere 
gratification  in  every  instance  where  he  saw  a  prosper 
ous  and  changed  condition.  But  there  was  no  event 
that  had  occurred  during  his  absence  which  seemed  to 
give  him  so  much  delight  as  the  fact  that  his  friend, 
Tim  Cronin,  had  ascended  to  the  station  of  a  prudent, 
thrifty  and  influential  citizen. 

The  Cronins  in  their  beautiful  home  tendered  recep 
tions,  parties,  and  festivities  galore  in  honor  of  Mr. 
Glidden,  and  upon  them  seemed  to  rest  a  part  of  the 
cheerful  responsibility  of  assisting  the  Garlands  in  the 
entertainment  of  the  distinguished  visitor. 

The  story  is  so  old,  so  common,  that  probably  it  will 
not  sufficiently  interest  you  to  recount  it  in  detail.  As 
of  yore  the  spirit  of  hymen  was  active.  On  noiseless 
mount  sped  the  Goddess  of  Summer,  and  they  who 
thought  the  warm  period  of  the  year  would  never  pass 
were  surprised  when  o'er  the  wooded  hills  the  breath  of 
Autumn  came,  bearing  the  yellow  leaf  and  gathering  in 
the  golden  harvest.  As  the  days  advanced  things  within 
and  without  the  vicinity  of  Pineville  foretold  some  un 
usual  event.  There  came  an  evening  sweeter,  brighter 
and  fairer  than  any  of  that  season.  It  was  the  first  of 
October.  The  long  clouds,  extending  far  to  the  east 
ward,  showed  signs  of  the  approach  of  night,  and  when 
at  last,  the  sun  immersed  in  its  Western  home,  the 


"ALL  ABOARD."  297 

Hunters'  moon  shed  a  soft,  pale  light  over  the  Garland 
homstead,  Mandy,  with  the  lovelight  in  her  dark  blue 
eyes,  was  being  joined  in  the  bond  of  matrimony  to  the 
man  she  had  loved  since  the  day  they  first  met.  The 
house  was  filled  with  friends  and  relatives,  and  even  the 
yard  in  front  of  the  house  was  thronged  with  well-mean 
ing  country  boys. 

All  listened  breathlessly  to  the  nuptial  obligations 
that  were  being  imposed,  until  the  last  words  of  the 
rites  were  performed.  When  the  ceremony  was  over, 
and  the  guests  were  extending  pleasant  courtesies  to  the 
principals  of  the  event,  the  crowd  about  the  door  set  up 
a  tumultuous  uproar,  and  the  noise  of  the  bells  and 
horns  and  cheers  was  almost  deafening,  for  a  crowd 
had  gathered  there  from  every  section  of  the  blueberry 
district  to  celebrate  the  joyous  occasion  of  the  wedding 
by  rendering  a  grand  old-fashioned  serenade  to  the  happy 
couple. 

The  last  glimpse  we  had  of  Ike  Glidden  was  that 
evening,  when  he  and  his  bride  boarded  the  train,  and 
the  conductor  announced  "All  aboard." 


178 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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